Like a Father, Like a Son
by Wherever Girl
Summary: A series of drabbles centered around Evan and Roland, and the bond they formed throughout their journey in rebuilding a new kingdom... and perhaps, gaining a new family they didn't expect to find in one another.
1. And So It Begins

...I couldn't help myself.

HERE'S A NEW DRABBLE SERIES!

Much like my "Like A Brother" series, this will feature mainly interactions between Roland and Evan, only rather than a brotherly relationship, it's more father-son :D (I'm a sucker for that sort of stuff, what can I say?). I'm 9000-percent sure I'm not the only one who's written a story like this with these characters, and I'm sure many more will be written… But for now, here is mine. ^^

Disclaimer: All rights belong to Bandai-Namco and Level-5. As always.

Without further ado, the first installment of my new series, _Like A Father, Like A Son._

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They ran for hours. When they had fled the sewers, it was the middle of the day. Soldiers chased them to the border; dark clouds filled the sky, a downpour started as they crossed the fields. It wasn't until dusk before they reached some cover.

Evan shivered from the cold. He looked up at the sky, the rain having lightened to a sprinkle, though the weather was still gloomy enough to match his mood, just like it had been that morning when the tragedy of the situation took place.

It all felt like a strange, horrible dream… The day of his coronation, a stranger from somewhere unknown appears in his chambers, assisting him against a coup that was organized by Mausinger, his father's most trusted advisor… and to make matters worse, Aranella- the woman who had taken care of him before he even knew how to walk- had died protecting him.

This had to be a nightmare. Yes. He was probably just nervous because he was going to be king! He was probably sleeping in, and any second Nella would come in to wake him up. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead. No time for cat-naps when you're becoming a king, is there?" she would quip, rubbing his head like she always did when he was groggy in the mornings…

Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed.

The young grimalkin gasped, backing up into a tree. A few feet away, the stranger from another place, was looking around at their surroundings. He turned towards him. "There's no sign of any soldiers. I think we'll be safe for now," he told him; he paused, seeing the heir's troubled expression. "What's wrong?"

Evan winced. So this wasn't a dream. It was all real. "What's right?" he muttered glumly, sitting down pulling his knees to his chest. "I lost Nella, Mausinger betrays my family, I'm chased out of my kingdom…" he shook his head. "I don't know where to go or what to do."

"You're not alone there," Roland sat down next to him, looking up at the dark, cloudy skies. "I have no idea what's going on either… One minute, I'm driving to the city, a missile shooting by, everything is blowing up… then suddenly I'm waking up here. I had to wonder if I had died and gone to the afterlife, or if this is just a dream… though after the first two battles, I had to dismiss that and accept this was all real. I have no idea what kind of world I'm in… All I know right now is you and I just got out of one hell of a situation, and we're both exhausted."

"How… did you get here?" Evan asked, thinking about it. With the chaos around him, he had no time to stop and ask his new ally where he had come from or how he got here.

"Your guess is as good as mine. I come from a whole different world than this one,"

"I see."

Roland looked at him. The kid was still down… of course, no one could blame him, given the circumstances. Nothing he could say could distract him from the sorrow of losing a home, a family…

The young president knew he wouldn't. Despite being in a different place, he couldn't forget the devastation he felt, seeing a missile shoot by, an entire city destroyed, buildings crumbling to ashes from one explosion. He had no idea what had happened. A terrorist attack? A declaration of war from another country? No matter how much he racked his brains, he was sure of one thing…

The damage was done, and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

Meanwhile… here was a young lad who had been dethroned before he even got his crown.

There was no rank on who had the worse luck out of the two of them… neither of them knew what to do after such a dark day.

And that dark day had faded to a dark night, as he spotted stars through the gaps in the clouds.

With every dark night comes a new dawn, he told himself. He let out a breath, turning to the young heir. "We should get some sleep. We're going to need our strength," Roland stated.

"Sleep? O-Out here?" Evan questioned.

"It's not the most comfortable place, but it'll have to do for the time being."

Evan sighed, but nodded. There were no inns nearby, and it would be a long trek before he found a warm bed to sleep in. He rested his face on his arms. "I don't think I'd be able to sleep easily, anyway..."

"That makes two of us," Roland reached up, breaking a small twig off a branch. "I guess it would be easier if we had a fire to warm us up. We're pretty far away, I think it would be safe."

Evan nodded; the two gathered as many dry sticks and leaves as they could gather, only finding a handful or so since the rain had drenched the woods. Roland found a few rocks, setting them in a circle around a small firepit he dug by hand. He then rubbed a pair of sticks together, wishing he had a lighter with him. After a few minutes of trying, a flame finally sparked.

The two sat close to the small fire. All was quiet.

"I can't believe Father was poisoned…" Evan whispered, mainly to himself. "A-All this time… I thought he was just sick…"

"I'm sorry for your loss." Roland said gently, not knowing how else to respond. "He must have been a great dad. …Sometimes it helps to focus on the best memories,"

Evan opened his mouth to reply, but paused. He stared into the fire, lost in thought.

Roland cringed a bit, noting the lack of response. "…Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh, n-no. It's just…" Evan rested his chin on his arms. "Father and I… we seldom ever spent time together. Outside of meals and him checking up on my lessons, I hardly saw him. He was so busy with kingdom matters that he didn't have much time to spare."

"What about your mother? What was she like?"

"I… don't quite remember. She died when I was little," The young heir bit his lip, as the realization that he was an orphan weighed down on him. "Nella… she was the one who raised me. There wasn't a moment when she wasn't at my side…" once again, tears formed. "And… now she's gone…!" he covered his face with his hands, as a sob escaped his throat.

The reality of the situation finally took its toll on him. He had lost everything- a family, a kingdom, a home… he never felt so scared in his life.

There was a still moment, before an arm wrapped around his shoulders. He gasped softly, looking up at Roland; the young man pulled him close. "It will be alright, Evan…" he assured, rubbing his back.

"How… how are you so sure?" Evan whispered, tears rolling down his eyes.

"Because you're not alone," Roland looked up at the sky. "I don't know what's going on, why I'm here… but I've made my decision. I'm going to stay here- with you,"

Evan only looked at him, before leaning forth and clinging to him. Despite he had only met this man this day, he really needed a companion to lean on during this time. "T… Thank you, Roland."

Roland patted him on the back, giving his head a rub (minding the ears, not sure how to respond to that factor yet), before pulling away. "Now, try to get some sleep. You'll need rest if we're going to figure something out. I'll keep watch,"

The young heir nodded; scooting back from the fire a bit, he lied down, resting his head on his arms. A cold wind blew, making him shiver, wishing his pack had a blanket. The president noticed this, then reached into his own pack, pulling out his suit jacket. No need to dress formal right now, he decided, and draped it over the cat-eared lad.

He watched the boy for a moment, making sure he was comfortable enough, before tending to the fire. He let out a sigh, looking up at the stars.

Much like his newfound companion, he too missed his family.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: I stole a scene from the original game trailer. I noticed they changed a few things in the game (like how it was supposed to be raining on the mountain when Roland asks Evan what he's going to do next, and then said he would stay with him while they were by a campfire…?) But, I'm not here to nit-pick trailer inconsistencies, I'm here for fluff!

…did I start off well?

ALSO, I'm watching cut-scenes and Lets Plays of the game so I have yet to see how it ends so until I do PLEASE no spoilers!

Roland: Isn't that kind of biased? Suppose you write something, and it turns out it's supposed to be different in the game?

Me: …I made that mistake before when I watched Lets Plays of the first game. I got so much wrong- just ask Swaine.

Swaine: Yeah, it's a habit of hers. Which reminds me… *points to the nearest Exit* Run.

Roland: Excuse me?

Swaine: Run. Go! *ushers Roland off* Quick! Once she gets started on the fluff, she never stops! I know this too well from experience! Run man! Save yourself while there's still time!

Roland: Ah! Don't push-!

Me: *to readers* …My reputation precedes me :3 *runs after them* You can run but you can't hide! Mwahahahaha…!

Evan: Um… should I be worried? 0_0

Oliver: Well…

Lofty and Drippy: YES.

 _Please review. Don't listen to Swaine, I plan on making this a great story, so hold back on the flames!_


	2. Skirmish

So, I had to wonder… what would happen if someone got hurt during a skirmish?

Thus was when this chapter was born. *hands out cigars* Let's celebrate! XD

Note: I have no idea how to write battle-scenes so please forgive me if the description is… how should I put it?… stupid. :P

Disclaimer: I don't own the game. …I have yet to purchase a copy for myself as well. …I don't even have a PS4. …and now I need a hug. ;_;

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Things had not gone well in today's skirmish.

A part of the Heartlands had been overtaken by an army of Hedgehounds, different packs terrorizing passerby and declaring an invasion to Evermore, to take the land for their own.

Upon hearing these news, King Evan nor President Roland were going to stand for it. With Khunbish and Chingus rallying the warriors, the small army went to the battlefield to not only take back their land but to protect the kingdom they were still building.

Things were going well. After a couple air-bombings to back units and taking out a couple walls, it seemed the battle would be in their favor. They made it through the final gate…

That's when reinforcements came…

 _Manticore_ reinforcements- five, to be exact.

Evan tried his best to focus on everything. He had the archers find a high point to shoot down the Manticores, while having the rest of the troops focus on taking out the Hedgehound warriors. The leader of the vicious army, Major Byte, took it upon himself to fight the young king. "Ha! So you're the cat-eared king who's been building a castle! Funny, I thought you'd be bigger!" the creature taunted. "Give up now! This land belongs to us!"

"The Heartlands will never belong to vicious beasts like you- not as long as I'm around to protect it!" Evan retorted, and their battle began.

"Ha! We 'beasts' have owned these lands before you were even born! What rights have you to claim it?!"

"The right… to give everyone a happily ever after!" he summoned his magic and blasted the Hedgehound. However, his magicka had run low; he looked around for any higgledies, but the small creatures had ended up scattered on the field, no circles in sight for him to use!

Major Byte backed away, then caught something in the corner of his eye. Snarling once at Evan, the beast rolled to the left. At first, Evan thought the Major was planning on retreating… until he noticed the direction his enemy was heading.

To his horror, Roland was fighting against a Manticore, the giant creature keeping the president's sights on it; Byte was rolling towards him!

"Roland! Look out!" Evan shouted.

It did no good; Byte managed to knock Roland's feet out from beneath him- he didn't have a chance to hit the ground as the Manticore barreled into him, ramming his ribcage and practically tossing him into the air!

Evan acted quick, grabbing some soreaway to give to the president… but Byte was rallying more soldiers, having three at his side as he charged at Roland. The young king realized he wouldn't have a chance to heal his friend, and instead hurried to defend him, swinging his sword at every Hedgehound that came his way.

"Back off, ya spiked-spined mutts!" Lofty shouted, though the small King Maker had nothing more to offer than moral support.

"Lofty, give this to Roland- agh!" Evan tried to say, but the soreaway he tried to hand to the King Maker ended up smacked out of his hand by a Hedgehound.

Another Hedgehound rammed into Lofty, sending the tiny yellow friend careening across the field! "Crikeeeeeeyyyyy!" he cried before landing in some bushes.

"Looks like your reign will be shortlived…" Byte chuckled as he and his forces circled the king, then prepared to lunge-

An arrow struck Byte in the back, the Hedgehound howling in pain; two more struck the soldiers at his side. A Manticore came charging at them, but a battle-yell cut through the air and a war-hammer struck the beast smack-dab in the face, knocking it out cold.

"C'mon! Show 'em what for!" Tani exclaimed as she and Batu ran across the field, using their weapons to take down any enemy that came across them. Evan swung his sword, taking out the remaining Hedgehounds who were caught off-guard.

Roland was back on his feet at this point. "Sorry about that… c'mon, we've got them on the run!" he grunted, despite his entire body ached.

"R-Roland, you're wounded-" Evan began to state.

"I'm fine! Let's go!" Roland took out his gun, shooting some enemies from a long-range. He shot at a Manticore, which in turn began to charge at them, only to fall victim to a myriad of arrows that rained down upon it.

"We've got 'em now!" Batu exclaimed, as their enemy's forces began to dwindle.

With their Might increasing, Evan had Chingus called in one more air-raid, bombs dropping on any remaining enemies. Those who weren't blasted to Kingdom Come ended up fleeing to the hills. "Ha ha! It's victory from this point on!" Chingus exclaimed, smacking a Hedgehound into three more, the beasts running off yelping.

Evan spotted Byte, and once again the two engaged in battle, his foe already wounded enough from the arrow. The beast snarled and snapped at him, backing away- once, he looked out the corner of his eye, a smirk crossing his face before he ran to the hills.

*BOOM!*

"EVAN!" Tani shouted. "LOOK OUT!"

The king didn't look fast enough, as- from a distance- a cannon shot off, its aim right on him…!

Something tackled him just then, both of them rolling across the ground, the tackler on top of him when the cannonball hit, the impact causing a fiery blast which Evan, thankfully, was shielded from.

Unfortunately, the one shielding him was Roland. "R-Roland…!" Evan gasped.

The president groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as he couldn't bring himself to stay conscious any longer.

The cannon, in the meantime, had been destroyed by the remaining forces, and Byte found that his army had either been defeated or abandoned the battle. "This isn't the end…!" he snarled, before retreating himself.

"Ha ha! There's another win for us!" Lofty exclaimed as he stumbled out of the bushes, though realized Evan was in no mood to celebrate. "Oi! Did you hear me, mun? We've won! Let's get outta yur and go sing 'bout our praises- ehhh?" the King Maker stopped, seeing the reason behind the king's lack of enthusiasm.

"Blimey! What happened?!" Batu gasped, rushing over with Tani.

"T-There was a cannon… Roland pushed me out of the way, but…" Evan said, hyperventilating.

"Roland ain't the only one unconscious, lad. Half the men have taken more than their share of damage!" Batu pointed out, surveying the battlefield and seeing a few of his men were on the ground, injured beyond movement.

Evan nodded quickly, trying to focus on everything. He quickly called in for medical assistance; within minutes support came. Sky pirates who didn't offer to fight in battles took the role of handling the wounded and getting them off the battle-field for healing, and it was time like these Evan hoped to find more doctors to join his kingdom.

A few tents were put up for the wounded to rest. The med-aids took out as much soreaway and angel tears needed to revive and heal the soldiers, who laughed and joked with one another about 'how they've fought worse' or 'had expected a challenge to come up sooner or later' (Lofty then had to wonder if all Sky Pirates treated battle like a game).

In another tent lay Roland. "He'll have to rest," Evan was informed. "He took quite a lot of damage, and we don't have any angel tears left and only had one soreaway, but other than that he's still breathing. You're welcome to see him, your majesty."

Evan entered the tent, biting his lip at the sight. Roland lay on a blanket on the ground, sporting bandages around his abdomen, forehead, and one of his arms. "Oh, Roland…" he gasped, sitting down beside the president.

He was at a loss for words. All he could think about was what he could have done better. He should have had the archers scout from higher ground so they could spot an ambush, or had everyone retreat until they could muster their forces and try again… it was by sheer luck that they managed to pull through without losing any lives!

It was a miracle Roland hadn't lost his life…

Just to defend Evan, of all cases…!

 _Just like Aranella…_

Pain struck the young king in the heart at this comparison. The situations seemed to line up- he wasn't aware of all that was happening, and someone had to save him… had he been more focused, more cautious, this could have been avoided…

Nella had died protecting him. Roland had a brush with death for the same reason… How many more would fall for his sake?

"I'm sorry…" Evan whispered, shutting his eyes tight. He couldn't cry. If anyone saw him crying now, they would assume the worst. He had to stay strong for everyone's sake… it was the most he could do after what happened.

Someone entered the tent just then. Tani. "How is he?" she asked quietly.

"He needs rest," Evan told her, swallowing a sob. "How… how are the rest of the men?"

Tani rolled her eyes. "Typical, that's what. They get out of a tough scrap, and start challenging each other to arm-wrestling! Trust me, Evan, you have no more stubborn warriors than Sky Pirates- even death wouldn't keep them from coming back for more."

Evan bit his lip. "Please don't bring up death…"

"Ah, sorry… but, no one died. We had a close call but-"

"I said don't talk about it!"

Tani flinched at his tone. "Evan…?"

The young king shook his head. "I-I'm sorry… it's just… this isn't the time nor place to talk lightly about it." He looked at Roland once more. "Actually… don't speak of it at all… I can't take it…!"

"Hey, hey… everything's alright!" Tani rested a hand on his shoulder. "Look at me. Everyone is alright. _Roland_ is alright. No one has been lost, so there's no use crying as if someone has been. We. Lost. No one."

Evan winced, and she felt him tremble. "…I lost someone already…" he shut his eyes. "Aranella… s-she was my governess, and best friend, and… she died to protect me…"

Tani gave a soft gasp. "Evan… I-I didn't know, I'm sorry! I swear, had I known, I would've kept my trap shut…!"

He didn't respond at first, looking at Roland, still. "Tani… be honest…" he whispered quietly. "…do you think I'm a good king?"

She sighed, holding back an eye-roll. "Evan, don't downsize yourself. Of course you're a good king! You think any other ruler could convince a band of renegades like us to unite under his banner? And you don't even have a banner yet, so that's saying a ton!" she gripped his shoulder. "Listen to me, boy, 'cuz I've got a life lesson to share with ya- no battle will ever be easy! People are going to get hurt. Some enemies are going to be stronger than others, and there will be ambushes you won't be prepared for… I mean, look at me! I'm so tough I've got guys like Khunbish and Chingus following my orders, yet I ended up getting nabbed by Wyverns while scouting! Had it not been for you two blokes, I'd still be dangling up that cave getting skin pecked off my bones! …But, am I focusing on what I did wrong? No. I think about how I gained two new friends from that experience, and learned how to be more aware during my wandering."

Evan wiped his eyes. "So… you're saying I shouldn't focus on the fact that I almost got someone killed?"

This time, Tani had to roll her eyes. "I'm saying, count your blessings! We had a tough skirmish, but we managed to protect the land! I mean… isn't that what a king and his army are supposed to do, protect their home and people, no matter the cost?"

"Y-Yeah… but…" Evan looked at Roland once more. "I want to protect everyone…"

There was a moment of silence, before Tani responded. "You can't always protect everyone…"

He looked at her. "Huh?"

"I mean, you can try… but you have to cut your losses somewhere at some point. …I know Batu did, when I was kidnapped. Those stupid Wyverns were going to ransom me off, right? I know my dad well enough- no matter how much he wanted to see me safe, he knew he couldn't risk endangering the base."

"How… how did you figure that?"

She chuckled. "It was obvious the moment you and Roland came to my rescue! Batu wouldn't want to risk anyone else on the crew to get snatched, so it makes sense he would send two strangers to do the job and give him reason not to slit their throats." She smiled at him. "…We're still thankful for that. Anyone else would high-tail it out of Cloudcoil Canyon rather than come save a pirate's daughter, but you proved yourself different. That's what makes you a good king in my opinion."

"I see…" he looked down at the ground. "…do you think I'm weak right now?"

"Because you're worried about losing someone? No. Because you're crying as if you've lost a war? No. Because you're being too hard on yourself? …Yes. Like I said, no battle is going to be easy, but you need to count your gain more than your losses, and learn from any mistakes you've made."

"So you admit I did make mistakes… Ow!"

Tani had slugged him in the arm. "Well of course you did! I mean, you're still new to skirmishes. Next time, get the high ground first, and send in some scouts! Also…" she lowered her voice. "…don't be afraid to pull out of a battle. I know our men are strong, but there's going to be tougher enemies out there, and as stubborn as they can be they won't back away from a challenge! Even my dad knows when he's outmatched,"

"A-Alright…"

She grinned. "You'll get better at it. We'll see to it you do. In the meantime, make sure Roland doesn't sleep too long," with that and a wink, she walked out.

Evan sighed, left alone again with his thoughts. He appreciated Tani's reassurance, but his heart still felt heavy. _I want to gain more than I lose…_ he thought, looking at Roland. _I don't want to lose anyone else at all…!_

"I promise… I'll do better." He said, even though he doubted his friend could hear him. "I'll get stronger, I'll work on battle tactics, I'll make sure our Might is high, I'll find us better weapons and gear and… and… I'll make sure no one has to risk their lives for my sake again… if I can find a way to eradicate war entirely, I'll do it! I just…" he covered his face with one hand. "I don't want you to die next…"

"…who says I'm dying…?"

Evan gasped, seeing Roland had come to. "R-Roland!" tears continued to roll down his cheeks. "I'm… I'm so sorry… If I had been more careful-!" he hung his head low. "…you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Evan." Roland reached, grasping his hand. "It's not your fault. No one saw that cannon until the last second."

Evan held his hand tight. "But… you almost died because of me-!"

"No… you _would have_ died if I hadn't knocked you out of the way, and that cannonball hit you." Roland shut his eyes. "Even if I did die… the sacrifice would be worth it, because it meant you would still be alive to keep building your kingdom."

"I… I couldn't…" the young king began to sob. "I-I need you, Roland…! You said you'd stay with me, a-and help me… I'll need guidance, even- even after the kingdom is built… how will I run it? You're the only one who has led a nation and knows how things work…" he shook his head. "I can't do it without you…"

"Hey. I'm still here." He reached up, wiping the tears off his face. "And you've gained more allies to help you, and I know you'll gain more along the way, so you'll always have someone around. Don't be talking about going it alone when you've already got company, and don't say you need me to stay if I haven't even left!" he gave him a reassuring smile. "I want you to be brave, alright? No matter what happens,"

Evan sniffled. "I… I'll try… no, I will. I…" he gripped his hand. "I'll be brave, and I'll get stronger and wiser when it comes to battle. I'll get better."

"I know you will. Our quest has only just begun, and there's still so much more to learn." He folded his good arm behind his head, looking upward in reminiscing. "Believe me, there was a lot for me to learn after I became president. It's not just what you learn in school or read in books, but the experience you gain… and I say you've gained a lot of experience from today."

The young king wiped his eyes once more. "That's… kind of what Tani told me."

"Ha ha, see? Someone else is giving you lessons when I'm not." Roland gave his hand a gentle shake. "Everything is alright, Evan. Focus on building the kingdom, and worry about battles another day. We're all still here,"

"T-Thank you, Roland…" Evan held his friend's hand with both of his. "And… thank you for protecting me."

"Hey, you got my back, I've got yours." Roland went to sit up, though an ache shot through him; he held in a pained grunt, and lied back down. "Um, speaking of which… would you mind finding me some soreaway?"

"We're out, but I'll go see if there's something that can help. We can always use higgledies too, once we get them round up,"

"That's fine."

Evan walked out, off to find something to ease his friend's pain.

…

Unbeknownst to either of them, Batu had been listening by the tent, accompanied by Chingus and Khunbish. "Oi, Boss. How come you never talk to us like that after a battle?" Chingus asked.

"Yeah, where's our post-battle sympathy?" Khunbish joked.

"Right here-" Batu slapped them both upside their heads! "Stop yer bellyaching and go find us some more herbs, ya slackers! Roland didn't protect our new king just so he could be left running the errands!"

"Sheesh, Boss, it was just a joke…!" Chingus muttered as the two walked off. "And my head still hurts from battle!"

"Your head hurts every time you try to think!" Tani remarked as she passed by them. She walked over to Batu. "…So? How's he holding up?"

"Evan or Roland?" Batu quipped.

"Ha ha, either."

"Both are doing good now, maybe better now that they've come to terms with the hard truth of battle." Batu crossed his arms. "That boy is going to make a good king,"

Tani chuckled. "Of course he is. How many kings do you know who've got anyone like us under their wings?"

"Har har! That be true, lass! …Now, see to it the rest of the men are getting healed up and not adding to their injuries,"

"Aye aye, boss!" With that, Tani walked off.

Batu watched her go, before turning back towards the tent. "…Thank ya again for savin' her, lads. My debt to ye is greater than you imagine," he said quietly, before walking off.

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A/N: Did you honestly think Batu wouldn't have his share of moments? ;) Also, I'm saying this now, I'm not sure about the Tani x Evan pairing yet—right now, I see them more of friends/siblings, and figured Tani is still too tough for romance (…but I will right something about that moment in Hydropolis, lol!)

…Oh, crap, she heard me. *runs*

Tani: *with crossbow* Yeah, you'd better run! Ugh, honestly, why do fandoms always find a need to pair up characters? *to Esther* Have you've ever gone through this?

Esther: *groan* Yes… people on the site ALWAYS try to ship me with Swaine.

Tani: Ah, so I'm not alone on thi- SWAINE?! *does a double-take* Blimey! I-I figured you and Oliver would be everyone's match-up, but _Swaine_?! How would that even work?! You're 13 and he's, what, 50?

Swaine: *refuses to dignify that with a response*

Batu: Alright, lasses, that's enough! Time to wrap up this chapter! *to readers* Any of ye swabs like what you've read, say so- those of ye who don't… well, go write yer own if ye feel otherwise! *holds up war hammer* But don't even THINK about playing match-maker with me daughter, so long as you wish to live!

Tani: *blushes* Daaad…!

Batu: What?! Ye'd be too young for dating! *thumbs at Swaine* Especially if these shippers like pairing young girls up with old men!

Swaine: THAT'S IT! I'm leaving! *exits*

Me: *watching from off-screen* …It's characters like these that make these author notes fun to write XD


	3. Expectations

…I think this story has become my new addiction XD

So, just a heads up, I won't be posting these in chronological order, and there WILL be spoilers for those of you who haven't played the game or got to a certain point yet.

Example: this chapter lol.

Please skip/avoid if none of you have gotten to the part where Roland… crap, how can I explain it without even spoiling it? …Okay if none of you have gotten past the Broadleaf arc yet, don't read this chapter yet! Wait until AFTER you see two characters turn into frogs! …I'm not saying who, because that would probably spoil a ton of things (if I haven't already :P)

Er… read on!

Disclaimer: If I owned the game, the subtlety would be so bad you'd know what would happen just from looking at the title! *shakes fist at ceiling* Curse my lack of creativity! *ceiling title falls on face* …ow.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Setting: After Roland's Escape_

"They couldn't have gotten far! Search everywhere!" Mausinger ordered his guards as they stormed out of the castle…

…well, some of them did. A few were still blind from that flash caused by a higgledy, and stumbled a bit. "Straighten yourselves out, you fools!" Vermine shouted in disdain, despite he was still a bit sore in his eyesight as well.

The guards ran around the kingdom, a few Ding Dong Dellians having mind to stay out of their way while wondering what the commotion was all about. A few grimalkins quickly hid, fearing that the mouse soldiers would immediately accuse them of some crime and lock them away.

Two guards who were searching outside the kingdom walls searched around. There came a rustling from the bushes and one guard took aim… only to see it was just a pair of frogs, hopping out of the water and rushing through the grass. Shaking his head, he and his ally turned to look in the other direction.

…

Had the guard looked closer, he would have noticed the blue frog had a ponytail, and the green frog was wearing a red hat. "(C'mon, we have to get to a safe point before this wears off!)" the blue frog croaked to his comrade as they hopped. "(There's a safe point just over this hill!)"

"(Better said than done when you have to _hop_ everywhere!)" the green frog responded, continuing his rant in a chorus of ribbits. "(Of all things…! First I get captured, then you shoot me, now I'm a frog…! Is there anything else I should brace myself for?! Just wait until I tell Batu about all this-!)"

"(Quiet! If they keep hearing our ribbits, they'll think something is up!)"

After hopping for another 20 minutes, the two frogs made it to the top of the hill, a safe distance from Ding Dong Dell. In a puff of smoke, the spell wore off and there stood Roland and Khunbish, the latter still in a squatted position. Roland looked down the hill and saw there were still soldiers scouting about.

"Get down!" Roland whispered, pulling Khunbish down- just as the sky pirate had been standing up. The two lay in the tall grass, the president/chief consul looking through a pair of binoculars. The guards were returning to the castle, though a few were still on the walls, surveying the area through their own binoculars. "Stay low, and follow me."

The sky pirate did as he was told, though remained perplexed. "Master Roland…" he whispered, as they both crawled through the tall grass. "What exactly is going on? I don't understand… first you betray King Evan, then suddenly you're betraying Mausinger? Was this all just some scheme in order to gain inside information?"

"You could say that," Roland looked ahead; the tall grass had come to an end. "We're going to have to run from this point- try to avoid the beasts, don't stop to fight if they try to attack, just head for the trees. Those guards are still keeping watch for us,"

With a nod of confirmation, the sky pirate and chief consul sprinted across the fields. Luck was on their side, for no creatures tried to challenge them; a large Manticore stood in their way, though thankfully they managed to slip by it while its back was turned. The dark of the night served as their aid, for no guards managed to spot them.

Once in the coverage of the small forest, the two stopped to catch their breath. "So… exactly what was your plan?" Khunbish asked between breaths.

Roland reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pendant. "Let's just say, I had to pick up something for our king." He stated. "Evan needs his Mark of Kings in order to obtain his goal, after all."

"What the-?! Blimey! King Evan knew about this? I mean, I knew that boy had smarts, but I didn't think he'd have a whole plan mapped out like this! Could've at least filled in the rest of us- Batu was about to pop a blood vessel when you up and walked out-!"

"Evan didn't know," Roland pocketed the pendant, withholding a deep sigh. Recalling the look of anguish in his friend's eyes, it took all his strength to carry out the plan to the letter. "But that's how it had to be- if anyone else knew, it could have jeopardized our chances. I was lucky I was prepared for everything that happened,"

"Yeah, about that… what was with the frog pills? Who gave you those?"

"Leander," Roland crossed his arms, walking ahead; the sky pirate followed. "He was the one who helped me concoct this whole charade. He was the 'mysterious figure' Batu had seen me talking with the other night, pretending that I was selling state secrets. He gave me everything I would need when the time came for me to escape from Ding Dong Dell; I knew Mausinger wouldn't trust me and know I was after something, and would follow my every move, so Leander made sure I was extra prepared- the 'frog pills' was so we could make an easy getaway without having to fight our way out."

Khunbish had a hand on his ribcage. "I see… that makes sense… So, was shooting me part of the plan too, or was that just bad timing on my part?"

"I told you, those weren't real bullets. They were special sedatives to make it look like you were dead… In all honesty, I was hoping I wouldn't have to use them, but as I feared Mausinger would expect me to 'prove' my loyalty." _I was worried it would have been Evan…_ he added in his mind.

"Y-You knew you'd have to shoot someone?! Snakes alive! You were awfully cool about shooting a friend!"

Roland gave him a look. "Well, it was easy since that friend wanted to shoot me the first time we met,"

Khunbish gave a jolt, realizing the irony of both situations. "Er… yeah… but I didn't!"

"Right- because the boss' daughter wouldn't let you," Roland patted him on the shoulder. "But, I don't hold any grudges. What matters is we're both alive and still serving the same king,"

"…going to take me a while to get over being shot," the sky pirate muttered, then sighed. "But… you did what you had to do to get King Evan his Mark. Heh. You sure are one helluva consul- going through all this in order to make sure he succeeds, at the risk of losing his trust. I mean, if I pulled an act like this, I doubt Batu or any of my mates would let me walk behind them,"

Roland gave a solemn nod. "It was a hard plan to follow through with. I'll be lucky if I'm even allowed to enter Evermore without being under siege, unless Leander reassures everyone."

"Still… was it worth it? Pretending to betray King Evan?"

Roland once again looked at the pendant, knowing how much Evan needed it to open a special doorway. He knew how much Evan wanted to make peace with Ding Dong Dell… even if its ruler poisoned his father and threw the heir out of his own castle.

He wanted to make the world a better place and bring peace to all the lands, so that everyone could 'live happily ever after', and he was willing to let go of what he had lost in order to do so…

If Evan was willing to forgive Mausinger… then hopefully, he would forgive Roland.

"I believe it was," Roland told Khunbish. "Once he knows everything, he'll understand."

At least, the president prayed he would. Evan was a good kid, and an even greater king… but even the kindest of hearts could be pushed over the edge.

That was a fear Roland had to struggle with during each day of his feigned betrayal. The young king had already lost a father, a kingdom, and had to watch Aranella- the woman who practically raised him!- die at his side, and had gone through various struggles in order to build a kingdom, dealing with other rulers consumed by greed, lust for power, and intolerance…

Suppose Roland's act had been the last straw? If the situation was reversed, and Roland believed one of his closest comrades stabbed him in the back after so many hardships, he wouldn't exactly be thrilled to see them again.

What if… Evan hated him? _"You planned this without informing me?! I thought I could rely on you! But you didn't even inform me that we were being spied on, or consulted me about your actions! Everyone doesn't trust you anymore… I don't think I can either…"_ he could imagine Evan saying with tears in his eyes.

…

No.

In all the time they spent together, every battle they've been through, all Roland had helped him with, Evan wouldn't believe for a second that he had been betrayed by someone who cared about him so much. As Khunbish had said, the kid was pretty smart; he had gained a bit of wisdom throughout his quest as well.

Roland looked around, seeing they were in a familiar clearing. _This spot…_ he thought. It was the same place where he and Evan had camped out when they first escaped Ding Dong Dell. The memory seemed so long ago… back then, the grimalkin-hybrid had been a scared, confused, and grief-stricken child.

Compared to the strong, determined, and wise young man he had become thus far, the president could hardly believe the two were the same person. The following morning when Evan had declared his plan to build a new kingdom, Roland didn't expect himself to be so surprised; now, he was hardly surprised at all- he knew the lad was going to succeed… it would be a shock to him if he didn't.

"Master Roland?"

The chief consul paused, looking over at Khunbish; he was so lost in his trip down memory lane that he didn't realize the sky pirate had been speaking. "I'm sorry, what is it?" he responded.

"I said, 'should we find a place to make camp soon'?" Khunbish repeated, pointing to the fields beyond them. "It's the dead of night, the Heartlands are still miles away, and frankly I don't fancy my chances against any prowling beasts at this hour."

Roland nodded. "Yeah. It would be best to conserve energy after our escape," he looked around, spotting an alcove in the cliffs nearby. "Over there,"

The two walked over; had it not been for camping out during their various travels over the last few months, the president would have found it difficult to sleep on solid earth compared to the bed he had back in Evermore.

"Been a while since I've slept in these conditions, after living in a kingdom," Khunbish sighed, speaking the words Roland would have said himself. "Ah well… beats lying on a cold cell floor, heh."

"Sky pirates don't exactly have luxurious bedrooms, huh?" Roland asked in all obviousness, recalling the huts back in their old village.

"Well, they're not as nice as the ones back in Evermore, but they were still more comfortable than solid rock," he looked up at the stars. "…I remember when the base was still under construction, and the most we had were three beds. The only time we ever got another one was after Batu took in Tani… the moment he held that bundle of giggles in his arms, that's when our little home began to grow. The bigger she got, the bigger our base got." He slid his cap over his eyes, feeling himself drift off. "Amazing how fast they grow…"

Roland looked up at the stars, thinking of the child he was watching grow now. "Yeah. Pretty amazing what all changes before your eyes," he agreed. Soft snoring was the response he got, and he found the sky pirate had drifted to sleep. He chuckled, lying down to get some rest himself. "Sleep well, Khunbish… we'll be home by tomorrow."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: …Confession time. Khunbish is my favorite side-character in the game, and ever since that scene where he and Roland escaped, I wondered exactly how the two conversed- I mean, what do you talk about with a guy you shot/you've been shot by? XD I was tempted to turn this into its own separate one-shot buuut stuck with the current father/son theme; you had to wonder what all was going through Roland's head during this point, about whether or not Evan would welcome him back and how he felt about his false deception.

I plan on writing another chapter similar to this, only in Evan's point of view of the situation. :D

With all that said, I end this note on a single question… *turns to Khunbish and Swaine* Are you two related?!

Khunbish: W-What…? 0_o

Swaine: *face-palms* Not this again… Ignore her, Khunbish!

Me: Oh come ON! I can't be the only one who spotted the similarity! The messy hair, the facial features, the mannerisms… Either Khunbish is your descendant or the animators were recycling characters again, just like they did with Marcassin and Howl!

Marcassin: (off-screen) Would you PLEASE stop bringing that up!

Me: *turns in his direction* Never!

Khunbish: Um… I don't exactly know how to respond…

Swaine: Don't. The more attention you give her, the less likely she'll leave you alone, and before you know it, you have a psychotic fan-girl on your back!

Khunbish: *pause* …I have a fan-girl? :D *to me* Tell me, what about me strikes your interest?

Swaine: *face-palms again* It's because you look like me, you idiot! *catches himself* I mean, she THINKS you do-!

Me: Too late! XD

Khunbish: We kind of do… except I don't look like a homeless bum. I guess it's a good thing the bloodline altered throughout the generations, eh? Ha ha!

Swaine: Khunbish. I will shoot you in the face! *holds up pistol*

Khunbish: *flinches* One time was bad enough…! *takes off*

Swaine: *to me* Leave me out of your stories! *storms off*

Me: Anyway… Please review. Don't flame, or you'll suffer the wrath of my flaming-blade of retaliation! *holds up said blade*

Roland: (off-screen) Hey! Where's my Fire Sword?!

Me: 0_0 …um, providing Roland doesn't find me. *runs*


	4. Story Time

Well, peeps, it's snowing outside, it's been a chill weekend, God is good, so here's a new update! :D

Also, for everyone who has being reading, faving and reviewing… *whips out walkie-talkie* Bring it in!

(Large truck backs up, dumping out a mountain of candy, cakes and other sweet delights)

…Thank you ^^

Disclaimer: Hush up and have some treats. :D

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It was a rainy night in Evermore. It had been two days since the large structure had been built… at least the main halls. Other details were still under construction, but Batu assured him his men wouldn't rest until every wall was up. Had it not been raining, the young king would be hearing the sounds of hammers and saws as the pirates worked into the night.

Evan sat up in bed- at this moment, a small cot with a blanket and pillow, but it was better than sleeping in the woods. Lofty himself was asleep on a large pillow, the tiny Kingmaker content with what he had until they had enough coffers to 'upgrade to snazzier furniture', something both he and the young king could agree on. The palace did have a ways to go.

The rain lightly hit the pane, the soft tapping both a comfort yet a distraction for Evan's sleep, though Lofty was snoring through it alright. It wasn't that he minded the dreary weather; sometimes he found it calming, outside of the thunder and lightning.

But lately, the rain brought forth a sense of sadness. During stormy weather in his early childhood, Aranella would sit with him in the study, both of them drinking warm cider and eating cookies while reading their favorite stories. When thunder would strike, the tiny grimalkin would curl up next to her and she would rub his head, assuring him he was alright. He grew less afraid of the weather as he grew older, but once in a while they would still sit in the study with warm beverages to read together, just for the sake of leisure.

It was raining the day things went wrong, too… Mausinger betrayed his family, Aranella was mortally wounded, and he had to flee the kingdom. Had it not been for Roland, he would be lost and alone that day.

With these thoughts in mind, the grimalkin found himself in a mellow mood. Not wanting to go to bed depressed, he decided to take a stroll through the corridors (careful not to wake his Kingmaker as he made his way out); perhaps he could check on the progress that had been made so far. There wasn't much to see in the halls, however, so focusing on something outside of rainfall-based memories was going to be a task in on itself.

He came to the ground floor, seeing a soft glow coming from the lounge. _Who could be in there this late?_ Evan wondered to himself as he walked over. Everyone was exhausted from the work being done, so it was hard to imagine who could be up at such a late hour.

Peeking in, he saw Roland sitting by the fireplace; the young president seemed to be looking into the flames, a look of deep thought on his face. "Roland?" Evan called out in a whisper.

"Oh, Evan, it's you." Roland answered, after giving a small jolt upon hearing his name out of the quiet. "What are you doing up? I figured you would be fast asleep after today,"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Evan sat down across from him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, just thinking to myself. I tend to stay up late doing so,"

"What are you thinking about? Anything important?"

"Not really," he looked at Evan. "What's keeping you up?"

As if on cue, a rumble of thunder echoed outside and Evan flinched. "J-Just the rain."

"Oh… are you afraid of storms?"

The young king gave an indignant look. "Of course not! Keep in mind the first night we met we had to sleep in the rain!"

"Okay, okay, calm down! I was just asking,"

"(sigh) I'm sorry… lately, I haven't been liking dreary weather. I figured I could walk around the castle until it let up,"

Roland looked up at one of the windows, watching the downpour slide down the glass. "You're in for a long walk, then. Niall said it's supposed to rain all night,"

"Really? He can tell?"

"Probably. When I asked, he said he lived out in the woods long enough to tell how much rain the clouds were filled with."

"I see," Evan turned and looked at the fire. It was times like these he wished he could curl up with a book…

Roland stood up just then. "I have an idea on how to beat the weather. C'mon," he nodded his head towards the doorway. Curious on what kind of plan he had, Evan followed.

Taking a couple lefts and rights down unfinished halls, they reached a back area that was serving as a kitchen. It was a quaint little room, only a couple counters and a brick-built fire-pit serving as means for cooking (until they could acquire an oven), and some pots and pans the pirates brought from their base. Despite how humble it was, it still provided enough for meals.

Roland checked an ice-box, grabbing a couple bottles of milk and pouring them into a small pot, hanging it over a small flame. While waiting for the milk to boil, he grabbed a couple bars of chocolate, breaking and grinding them into little pieces into two mugs. "What are you doing?" Evan asked.

"Making hot chocolate… well, in the best way I can think of. Normally I use the packets and hot water; my grandmother told me this was one of the ways she used to make it, before Swiss-Miss© came along." He looked in the cabinets. "Do you like marshmallows in yours? Or do you prefer whip-cream?"

"Um, marshmallows sound alright,"

Finding a bag, Roland put a few mallows in Evan's mug (he didn't mind having his cocoa plain). Once the milk was hot enough, he poured it into each of the mugs, the chocolate melting and mixing with the creaminess of the sweet puffy treats. He looked around the cabinets once more. "…No graham crackers. Go figure," he sighed. He looked at Evan, then shrugged. "Oh well. Too much sugar would keep us up all night anyway."

They carried their warm beverages back to the lounge; Roland threw another log on the fire when the flames were beginning to shrink, then sat next to Evan. The room was quiet, outside of the crackling of the fire and the pitter-patter of rainfall.

"Heh. All we need is a howling wind and a low moan down the hallways, and it would feel like we were in an old-fashioned horror program." Roland commented to himself.

"Horror program?" Evan asked.

"Yeah. When I was a kid, we used to watch these old horror movies on television. The oldest one I remember watching was a black-and-white film with Vincent Price in it, _The House on Haunted Hill._ Of course, I loved the old-fashioned ghost-stories they'd tell on the radio, namely because I could imagine what the places, characters, and spooks looked like. They had a certain charm to them, that way."

"You must have been a big fan of scary stories,"

"Ha ha, well, not always. Mom always warned us not to fill our heads with anything dark, and had us kids watch Disney movies with funny magical creatures and gorgeous castles." He looked around. "…I wonder how she would react if she knew a similar place actually existed." He shook his head. "But, yeah. I liked to listen to some old-fashioned radio-stories. Some about mystery, a couple about romance, one that featured pirates… just anything that could send my imagination on an adventure."

"Very interesting. The most I had to entertain myself were books, but the stories always held my attention." Evan pulled his knees up to his chest. "I wish I had something to read now…"

"Yeah, it is hard to entertain ourselves…" Roland pondered a moment. "Well, why don't we tell stories?"

The young king looked up at him. "What kind of stories?"

The president shrugged. "Any kind you want. Do you know any?"

"It's been a while, let me think… um…" his ear twitched as he thought back as far as he could. "There was one called _The Lame Hero,_ it was about a sickly boy who wanted to become a warrior, but I can't recall all of it,"

"We had a similar story in my world. It's called _The Door in the Wall._ We read it in school, and it became one of my favorite medieval tales. I still know it by heart,"

For the next half hour, Roland told Evan the story about a young boy who wanted to become a knight; however, the boy grew lame and could not train, and became bedridden when the Black Plague broke out in his village, and he was the only survivor of his household. In the end of the story, he managed to use his infirmary to his allies' advantage to help get them inside a fortress.

When he was finished, Evan brought up his own medieval tales in his world; he told Roland about the story he had to complete during his test: a dragon was spreading havoc, and a young boy decided to go on a quest to defeat it, with the help of a fairy, a musician, a gun-slinger, and a sage. Together, they managed to take down the dragon and save the world.

Roland brought up how dragons and the like only existed in fairytales in his world, and told Evan about some of his favorite films that derived from them. He was in the middle of telling him the tale of _Sleeping Beauty_ when he noticed the young king's eyes growing heavy. "Heh, I know it's not the most exciting tale, but I didn't think it would put you to sleep," he joked.

"I'm not asleep…" Evan yawned, resting his hand on his palm, doing his best to stay awake now."What happened next?"

"Well… after the princess pricked her finger on a spindle, she and the rest of the kingdom fell into a deep, deep sleep." The president looked at the grimalkin, having to grin when he saw his eyes beginning to droop. "The king was asleep, the queen was asleep, the guards were asleep… the whole village in a soft slumber, everyone leaning against or lying down on something, snoring softly…"

"What about *yawn* the prince?" Evan stretched out on his side, keeping his head propped up on his palm.

Roland leaned back. "He was awake, locked away in the witch's dungeon. He managed to escape with the help of fairies, and raced to the castle; the witch did everything she could to keep him from reaching the castle, making thorns grow around the kingdom, trying to strike him down with lightning, but the prince fought through her attacks. Finally, she turned into a large, vicious dragon and fought him head on!"

"Did he win?"

"Heh, of course. He slayed the dragon right in the heart, then went up and kissed the princess, breaking the curse and the whole kingdom woke up from their slumber." Roland leaned back. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he didn't escape, if the whole kingdom did sleep for a hundred years. Can you imagine? Sleeping for years and years, never having to wake up, just going through life in the land of dreams…"

"That… would be awful… *yawn* I couldn't imagine… being… so… tired…" Evan rested his face on his arms, fatigue overcoming him and he was softly snoring.

Roland gave a light chuckle, rubbing his head. "Yeah. …My son always fell asleep at that story, too." He whispered.

Picking up the young king, the president carried him back to his room; thankfully, Lofty didn't hear them come in, otherwise the King Maker would probably be asking several questions on why Roland was carrying him to bed, and why Evan was awake so late in the first place.

Covering his friend, Roland gave his head a gentle rub. Stretching and stifling a yawn, he went to get some sleep himself.

They would need to be well-rested, if they wanted their story to reach it's happily ever after.

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A/N: A little short, but I just wanted to type a chapter where Roland and Evan tell stories by the fire.

…okay I'm open for requests. BUT, do NOT go crazy! I only want to hear ONE request at a time- and, as unfair as this may be, I will not accept requests from anonymous reviewers (in case someone with an account tries to sneak in a few extra suggestions), that and I've been getting a few spammers. Why Fanfiction won't let you turn off anonymous reviews, I don't know…

Anyway! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a nice little review, some constructive criticism (I know I need it), but please no flames. Flames are a waste of cognitive thinking.


	5. Frightened

Now for another little chapter, a bit on the Halloweenie side, but it will include a tender moment.

Roland: You really enjoy writing up comforting scenarios, don't you?

Me: I'm a fluffaholic, what can I say?

Also, this is a request from **Mike AZ 2** (one out of two requests he sent, actually. Thank you again for the suggestions, my fellow fan-fictor ^^)

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters... who are sneaking out the door this minute- HEY GET BACK HERE! *chase ensues*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Everything was burning._

 _The sky was a blend of orange and red, buildings were nothing but ashes; countless civilians were screaming… at least, those that were still alive._

 _Roland limped down the road, staring at the ruins of the city. He was still badly injured from being blown back by the blast, but he willed himself to keep moving. His bodyguards were dead._

 _Panic was all around. People were badly scarred and blistered all over from the radioactivity. The flames were spreading all over._

' _What… where…?' Roland questioned himself. How was he back in the city? Had his ventures in another realm just been a long dream?_

 _There came crying…_

 _A child?_

 _The president hurried to the source of the whimpers, coming across the remains of a building; the child was crying somewhere, trapped inside a room! "H-Hang on!" Roland cried and, despite his body was screaming with agony, pushed and shoved away broken scaffolds, debris and the busted door that blocked his path._

 _It was dark. He peered in, the whimpers having stopped…_

"YAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"AUGH!" Evan screamed, giving a jolt.

Tani laughed, trying hard not to fall backwards. "Geez, Evan! I didn't expect your voice to go that high!"

"I-It's not funny! Y-You can't just scream in someone's face like that!"

Tani rolled her eyes. "It's a _scary story_ \- you have to throw in something unexpected!"

Evan let out a heavy breath, shaking off his nerves. It was late at night, and the group was camping in the Heartlands; with Evermore still being built, everyone had to sleep under the stars. With it their turn for keeping watch, Tani suggested the sentinels tell spook-stories to entertain themselves (as well as keep everyone wide-awake and alter, apparently!)

"Oi, Evan me lad, youer tail is still bushy," Lofty pointed out.

The young king blushed, quickly tucking his tail behind his back. "N-Never mind that! …What happened next, Tani?" he sighed.

"What do you mean? Once the girl went into the attic and got jumped by a ghoul, that's the end of the story!" Tani exclaimed. She looked around at the campfire; joining them on the watch were Khunbish, Chingus, and a few higgledies. "Alright, who's next? I want to hear your scariest tale, something that'll keep us awake for weeks!"

"I've got one. This'll make you fear going to bed ever again!" Chingus chuckled.

"I'm going to scout around," Evan said, not exactly in the mood to hear another frightening tale.

"I'll come with ya," Lofty added, hopping up off the log.

"Hig-piggle!" a water-higgledy and a wind-higgledy both squeaked, also offering to help Evan scout.

"Alright, but don't take too long! …Ghouls just love to prowl on wanderers!" Tani lightly teased.

"Tani! It's not funny!" Evan snapped.

"Oh, keep your hair on, I'm just teasing! Just be careful, we've already had to clear out a few Whamsters because someone spaced out,"

Evan sighed, nodding and continuing his way. He walked around the campsite, wondering if he should wake up someone to fill in for his position; then again, he had doubts he would fall asleep so easily, and Lord knows if everyone drew the conclusion that their king was 'too scared to stay out late', he'd never hear the end of it!

As if he could read his thoughts, Lofty gave him a soft nudge. "Ah, don't fret mun; they were just stories. Nothing to fear but fear itself, as they say- plus, after the beasties we've fought, you know there's worse out there than a few spooky spooks!"

"…that's not exactly helping, Lofty." Evan muttered. He looked up at the clear, starry sky and let out a heavy breath. "I've got to be brave though… I can't let myself get scared over something so silly!"

"That's it, mun! Nothing but a bunch of hogwash, it is! Ghouls jumping outta places- ha! It would take more than that to scare us!"

*snap!*

"AGH!" Lofty shrieked, leaping into Evan's arms. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"It… it came from over there," Evan cautiously walked forward, holding his sword in one hand and Lofty in the other, the higgledies standing at his side.

Peering around a tent, they saw someone had stepped out, a twig under their foot.

Roland.

"Oh, thank goodness… I-I mean, what's the big idea, mun?! Are ye trying to wake up th' whole field?!" Lofty questioned after a sigh of relief.

"Is everything alright, Roland?" Evan asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine… I was just going to see if someone wanted to switch out," The young president replied… but something seemed off. He looked pale and in a cold sweat, his breath concentrated as if he had just gotten out of a bout.

"Alrighty then, ye can fill in for me! I'm, ah, awfully tired!" Lofty said quickly, faking a yawn and stretching. He then quickly raced inside the tent. "G'night then, boys! Sweet dreams 'n' all that!"

"Lofty…!" Evan began to scold, but sighed. He couldn't blame the King Maker for wanting to turn in quick in order to wake up when the sun was up.

"What's with Lofty? …Did Batu catch him sneaking snack-rations again?" Roland asked.

"No. Everyone was telling ghost stories by the fire, and he was a bit startled." Evan rubbed the back of his head. "To be honest, they were quite terrifying, so I can't really fault him for feeling timid."

"Being scared is natural; you just have to swallow your fear and carry on,"

The grimalkin nodded, as they walked along the edge of the camp. They could hear Chingus enthusiastically telling a chilling tale, though the king decided to tune it out and focus on the scouting; all was quiet in the fields, so there was a chance the creatures they normally faced weren't nocturnal, so he decided to carry on the conversation. "Roland, have you've ever been frightened?"

The president paused…

 _The city was in ruins, flames all around._

 _The child trapped inside continued to cry…_

 _When Roland got through, he saw he was too late. The child was dead._

 _Worse, it was his son…_

"Roland?"

He shook his head, turning towards Evan. "Sorry… Yes, everyone gets scared. Like I said, it's normal." He stated, keeping a steady tone. The nightmare he had a few minutes ago startled him more than he realized.

The worst part was… he feared it wasn't a nightmare at all. He still remembered the explosion, the crumbling buildings, pain shooting through his body as the vehicles were blown across the bridge, his body lying on the pavement. That's all he remembered before waking up in Evan's world.

From all that was going on around him, he never got the chance to think about his home, his country… his family… Was there a chance they were still alive?

" _Gaaaaahhh…!"_

Roland was broken out of his thoughts by a scream; he and Evan both jumped, turning towards the camp. Upon hearing Tani's laughter, however, it was safe to say the cause of the yell came from their ghost-stories. The president sighed. "C'mon, lets head over there. I get the feeling everyone's been telling tales more than keeping watch," he stated.

"Alright," Evan replied, calming his heart-rate.

They walked over, seeing only Tani sitting by the fire. "About time you got back! I was worried you were eaten by ghosts," the sky-piratess joked.

"Ghosts don't eat people," Roland pointed out.

"How do you know? Ever met one?"

"Have you?"

"Sure, plenty of times!" Tani smirked. "There's a haunted cave up in Cloudcoil Canyon; a couple of our men went in there to explore- however, there was a rumor that you couldn't be in the caves at midnight, otherwise you'd never get out… alive. Well, our men, Cal and Jace they were called, decided to explore the caves at night, but never came back the next morning. Batu and a couple others went in the caves at daybreak to search for them… and all they found were their skeletons- not a piece of flesh left on them! The strange thing is, no creatures lived in those caves, so the only deduction was an evil spirit devoured Cal and Jace within the minute!"

"T-That can't be true! You're making that up!" Evan accused.

"I am not! It's totally true! We had to close off the cave and everything so no one else would be at risk!"

"Your story does have some plot-holes. How would anyone know they would be devoured at midnight, if no one got out alive? And why would a ghost need to eat, if it's already dead?" Roland questioned.

Tani stood up, hands on hips. "Sheesh, you Doubting-Thomases always love to nit-pick a good story, don't you?"

"Why are you telling stories anyway? We need to keep watch,"

"I know that! Spook-stories help us stay awake! Look at Evan- he looks like he just had ten cups of coffee!"

"You're one to talk, Tani- you're more wired than the rest of us!" Evan countered.

"Settle down, you two." Roland stepped in, then looked at the pirate-girl. "And no more scary stories, Tani. They may keep everyone awake, but they can also make everyone jumpy. We can't risk any misfires just because someone heard a noise,"

"Heh heh, that's true. I remember when someone on the base was so startled by a ghost-story, they shot off an arrow because a board squeaked! …boy, Batu was mad." Tani stretched. "Speaking of which, I might as well wake him up and switch out. Can't waste my energy at night and be groggy in the morning! G'night, men."

"Goodnight, Tani," Evan replied as she walked off.

It was quiet, save for the crackling of the fire. The grimalkin looked at his friend, seeing he was deep on thought. It wasn't the first time he had taken notice of Roland's ponderings, but this time there was a funny look in his eye. Distress? Discomfort? Concern? It was hard to read.

"Roland… what were you doing awake?" the young king asked, deciding to try and get an answer while they still had a moment to themselves.

"Just couldn't sleep, that's all." Roland replied.

Evan shook his head. "I know it's more than that. You were pale and flustered! What's wrong?"

The president sighed. "I just had a nightmare. It woke me up, I was too startled to go back to sleep, so I decided to step out. That's all that happened."

"Oh… It must have been an awful dream. You looked like you were going to be sick!"

"Yeah…" He looked into the fire before closing his eyes.

He didn't want to talk about his horrible vision. He felt like a child, getting scared of a nightmare!

Then again, when his son was little, every time he had a nightmare he would tell his dad about it; he felt better afterwards, once his dad helped him break down the logic behind the dream, and the impossibilities it included.

Not that breaking down his nightmare would be easy… it seemed so real… it probably was real…

But, as fate would have it, there was someone who could relate… somewhat.

"Evan… when… we were chased out of Ding Dong Dell, you were devastated, right?" Roland whispered.

"Of course I was… I was beyond devastated! My family was gone, I had lost my home…I had nothing but the clothes on my back." Evan replied, before looking around at the kingdom-to-be. "But… I had to move on. I knew I had to start my own kingdom… Not just for Nella, but for everyone who needed a safe haven. That's the reason for the banner- a place where everyone can live happily ever after. When I think about what I had lost, who I had lost… I think about what I've gained, and the friends I've made."

Roland took this into consideration. "That is a good point… We can't replace anyone or anything, but rather we're more of an addition, right?"

"Yes, of course!" Evan looked at him curiously. "…was your nightmare about something you lost?"

Roland nodded. "Yes, it was. …But, you have a point. I can't focus on my losses; plus, right now, my place is here with you, and helping you build your kingdom."

The young king looked at him a while; there was still a hint of sadness in his eyes. Walking over, he sat down next to him, giving him a hug. "I'm glad you're here, Roland. I can't replace what you have lost either, but you'll always have a place in my kingdom, at my side."

The president winced, giving a smile as he patted him on the head. "Thanks, Evan…"

They heard heavy footsteps and looked over, seeing Batu making his way over. "Evenin', lads. Anything interesting to report? I heard someone yelp a few minutes ago," the Sky Pirate leader asked.

"Nah. Tani was telling ghost stories. She was trying to spook everyone," Roland answered.

"Yeah, she really got a kick out of it," Evan added. "She kept teasing me whenever I gave a jolt,"

"Tch, that be Tani for ya… Don't let her stories get to ya, lad. After all, you're a king- an' faced much worse!" Batu told him. "Plus, she doesn't have merit to poke fun. Why, one time she was so scared by a story about a cannibal ghost, she about shot me with an arrow when I stepped on a loose floorboard!"

Roland and Evan exchanged glances, suppressing smirks and snickers.

Their fears were forgotten by the morning… so long as no one caused a startled misfire.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And there you go- ghost stories, fluff, and ending with a touch of humor. I hope you enjoyed and-

*someone taps me on the shoulder; I turn and look at Khunbish*

Khunbish: Hey, Wherever Girl, I was wondering… See, I'm finding it hard to sleep, you see, and was wondering if you'd like to take a walk, or something?

Me: Let me guess… you're the one who screamed in the story?

Khunbish: N-No! *I give him a look* …yes. B-But, in my defense, Chingus was telling a haunted-doll story!

Me: *sigh of relief* Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was the only one creeped out by that!

(In the background, Swaine is watching us and smirking; he sneaks up behind us)

Swaine: YAAAHH!

Khunbish: AUGH!

*POW!*

Swaine: *barely dodges an arrow* O_O

Me and Khunbish: Don't DO that!

Swaine: …great, we got TWO trigger-happy loons… *walks off*

Me: Moral of the story- NEVER jumpscare someone carrying a weapon!

Khunbish: No kidding… *shakily holding his crossbow*

Me: *sigh* C'mon, let's go binge-watch some comedies until our nerves are unscrambled. *to readers* While we do that, please leave a review!

Khunbish: But no flames, or you'll be my next target- and I WON'T miss this time!

Me: *bubbly eyes* …I love you.

Khunbish: Pardon?

Me: *a bit louder* I said I love you!

Khunbish: Oh, thank you. ^^

(We walk off)

Swaine: *to readers* …Talk about self-indulgence.

*POW!*

Swaine: AUGH! *ducks another arrow* …KHUNBISH, STOP LENDING HER WEAPONS!


	6. Adventures in Tani Sitting

Okay, solely based on the joke in that last part, here's something a little different.

Note: I don't know if the game mentions how old Tani was when Batu first found her, so if she was older/younger than she is in this chapter (7) feel free to correct me.

Now enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: *is shot with an arrow*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"N-No offense, boss, but… isn't there someone more suitable for this sort of assignment?" Khunbish asked, the young teen doing his best not to panic for questioning his captain. "I mean, not to say it ain't a privilege to be given a new challenge, or that I lack the confidence for the job, but are ye really sure ye want me doing this?"

Batu gave the young man a firm glance. "Every pirate at the base has gone through it, m'lad. I know it's a chore I must take upon my shoulders each day, but it only feels like a weight if ye make it out to be so! If renegades like us couldn't handle such a task, well we'd might as well roll over dead! It be no different than a skirmish- ye just have to do what works, don't let yer guard down, and brace yourself for anything,"

"But sir! I'm more cut out for archery, scouting, sniping and pillaging! Not… _babysitting,"_ His shoulders sagged at the mere mention of the word. He looked over at the hut, where a tiny Tani was wrestling with one of the other young kids- and winning.

His captain patted him on the shoulder. "Consider it a test, Khunbish. Watch Tani the way ye would look after the base, keep an eye on her no different than when spying passerby, and…" he gave him a look that made his blood turn cold. "Act like yer life depends on her safety- _because it does,"_

Khunbish paled so much, you would think he'd match the clouds in the sky. Still, he gave a firm nod. "Alright, boss, if that's yer order, I'll follow it through to the letter."

"Good. Now, the men and I are going to scout around the canyon; there's been talk of some travelers trying to cut through, and reports that a couple Wyverns have been wandering too close to the territory. I have Tyson and Jonesy on sentry duty here. You make sure Tani stays out of trouble… or there'll BE trouble,"

"Aye, sir."

Batu turned and walked over to Tani- who, at this moment, had a boy trapped in a headlock. "Oi! Tani! I'd be heading out now! Do yer part an' keep outta mischief, ye got it? No more tryin' to use one o' the other kids as target practice!"

"Aye aye, boss!" Tani said with a salute, waving to her father as he walked off. "Skin a Wyvern just for me!"

"Har har, ye can count on it!"

"Good luck, boss!" Khunbish hollered as everyone headed out. He then turned towards his charge. "Alright, Tani, it's just us two. What do-" he began to ask, pausing when he noticed something was amiss. He turned to the other kids. "Um… where'd she go?"

All the kids pointed up.

Khunbish looked- and gave a jolt. The moment backs were turned, Tani had managed to climb to the top of the hut! "Gah! Mistress Tani! Get down from there!"

"What? I'm just practicing my scouting," the tiny girl replied, before using a spear to run and pole-vault onto another roof, before leaping onto a ladder! "Hup!"

"Snakes alive- not so high!" The young archer quickly ran forth and began climbing up after her. "Ye know these huts are still under construction- they ain't stable to climb up on!"

"How do you know? We ought to check on the progress!"

"That ain't our job- and you're too young to do it anyway!"

"Heh. I wasn't too young for crossbow lessons,"

"That is completely different!"

Tani reached the top, looking over the edge of the deck-in-progress at the halfway-staircase below, before turning her attention to the framework of the soon-to-be hut. "Not bad, I may see if I can have my room up here," watching her step, she walked over the edge and looked over at the scenery, seeing the vast ocean waters and land-masses in the distance; far across the waves was the Island of Kings.

While she was hoping to go there someday, her caretaker was hoping the ladder wouldn't fall. "Alright, young mistress, back on the ground- now!" he ordered, walking over.

The young girl turned, her eyes wide. "Khunbish! Hold on! You can't-!"

"Oi! I'm in charge here, I say what can and can't be done! And right now, you can get back down on level ground before I whoop yer- AUGH!"

*CRASH!*

Tani cringed, watching as the loose floorboards tilted under his weight and he ended up falling through, landing in a stack of barrels below. "I was gonna say, you can't walk there- the floorboards were still loose!" she called.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After checking to make sure none of his bones were broken and his vital organs were undamaged, Khunbish hauled Tani back to the hut. At the moment, she was sitting at the table, while her caretaker applied a few bandages to his scraped-and-bruised areas. "Ye'd be thankful I landed on me head, li'l mistress." He muttered bitterly, applying an ice-pack on his forehead.

"I said I was sorry," Tani groused, resting her chin on her arms. "All I was doing was practicing,"

"Ye can practice when Batu's around- at least ye have the mind to listen to him! And keep in mind, just because the boss is off somewhere, doesn't mean ye can fool around like some crazy squirrel-girl! What're ye gonna do when I tells him I fell off a rickety deck because ye wouldn't heed my words?"

"Fine! I'll listen, keep your hair on…" she tapped her fingers on the table in boredom. "Can I get up now?"

"Now until your bedtime,"

Tani looked out the window. The sun was just beginning to set, but night-time was still off. "Come on, I said I was sorry- I even fetched soreaway for ya! Can't I get off with a warning?"

He gave her a look. "I fell 20 feet, crashed into barrels filled with vegetables, and have a hairline-crack in my skull. We've thrown people off cliffs for less damage!"

She crossed her arms. "A simple 'no' would have done… Can I at least have something to eat?"

A carrot was thrown onto the table in front of her.

Tani gave Khunbish a look. "…Something that WASN'T stuck in your hair?"

The teen sighed, rubbing his face. Well, he couldn't snap at the little lass for being hungry. "Alright, alright, what do you want to eat?" he asked.

"How about ordering out for sandwiches?"

"Okay. Wait right there, while I make the call…"Khunbish walked over to a window, sticking his head out and looking around, spotting a sky pirate walking by far off. "OI! TESORO!"

"KHUNBISH! WHAT'S UP?"

"CAN YOU GRAB A COUPLE SANDWICHES FROM THE RATIONS TENT?"

"SURE! WHAT KIND?"

"HOLD ON!" Khunbish turned to Tani. "What kind of sandwich do you want?"

"Whamster-and-cheese," Tani replied.

Khunbish stuck his head back out. "ONE WHAM-AND-CHEESE, AND A MANTICORE-MARINARA!"

"DO YOU WANT HEDGE-FRIES WITH THAT?"

"AYE, MAKE 'EM LARGES!"

"ALRIGHT, I'LL BE BACK IN FIFTEEN!" With that, Tesoro ran off.

Khunbish pulled his head back in. "Okay, they'll be here in-" he paused. Tani wasn't at the table! "Oh, bloody hell, Tani!" He began searching the hut. The door was still locked, she wasn't under the bed or the tables… but he did notice another window. Gasping, he stuck his head out, his first instinct to look up at the roof. "OI! TANI! YE UP THERE?!"

"BOO!"

"Yike- ow!" Khunbish gave a jolt, hitting his head on the edge of the window, turning and glaring at a giggling Tani, who had been hiding under a basket. "Dammit, Tani, that's not funny! I told you to sit at the table!"

"It was just a joke!"

Khunbish crossed his arms, giving her a firm look. "You'd better start listening to me, lass! Otherwise, I'll tell Batu you're dodging orders!"

She pouted, until a smirk formed on her lips. "Go ahead- then I can tell him who went on a joyride and put a dent on one of the air-ships!"

He froze. "You wouldn't…!"

"You keep your lips sealed, I'll keep mine sealed~"

The teen growled, rubbing his face. For a little kid, this girl was clever and sly- maybe too sly. "Fine. But you still need to listen to me! Otherwise…"

"Otherwise _what_?"

Khunbish thought fast; he couldn't exactly beat the girl, otherwise she would tell Batu, and Batu (after clocking him upside the head) would demand the reason he did so, in which Khunbish would tell him how Tani was being a brat, and the little nark would blurt out her share of blackmail.

Thankfully, the teen had another idea on how to establish some discipline. "Otherwise… you'll end up like Cal and Jace!"

The girl arched an eyebrow. "Cal and Jace? Who are they?"

"You don't remember…?! Well, you were just a squink when it happened, so no one probably never told ye,"

"Told me what?"

Khunbish waved his hand. "No, no, I should hold my breath. It may scare you- don't need ye wetting the bed,"

Tani put her hands on her hips, giving him a stern look. "I don't wet the bed! And I'm not scared of anything! Tell me!"

"Okay, okay, but don't say I didn't warn ya!" Khunbish sat down at the table, Tani across from him. He lit a candle to set the ambience. "Cal and Jace were a pair of mates of ours; they were great in skirmish-training, great with swords and axes… the only problem was they never gave heed to any rules or warnings. Liked to wander off and explore on their own, they did, and no matter how many times Batu loaded 'em up with chores, they would belay orders to keep outta things they shouldn't prod in. One day, they broke a very important rule, and paid for it dearly…"

"What? Did Batu kick 'em out or break their legs or something?"

"Tch. That would have been merciful compared to their bad karma," Khunbish rubbed his chin, looking out the window; the sun had set, only a hint of orange lingering on the horizon, but the moon was already out. "See, there be a cave here in Cloudcoil Canyon that none should ever tread. A few of our men had tried to explore it, but something eerie lingered inside. There were nothing but bones of creatures, and each morning when they'd scout it out, more bones would appear, fresher than the last. No one could understand how- it wasn't too deep, and there were no tunnels connecting to it; there were no signs of any predators living there, which only made it all the more mysterious.

"The boss ordered that no one go into that cave at night. During the day, it seemed like any other cave- just filled with bones. But at night… well, he and a couple others stood watch from afar, keeping their eyes on the cave to see what kind of monster was using it for its carnivorous hoard. All they saw was a wyvern go in… there was only a short screech at midnight, but that was all they heard. The next morning, they found its bones… so whatever was picking bones clean only struck at midnight.

"Well… that didn't keep Cal and Jace from checking it out for themselves. The two dinguses thought it was just some ghost-story, daring each other to explore the cave at night. They went in… but they never came back out,"

"How do you know this?" Tani questioned.

"The whole base knows it! Can I finish, or what?"

"Fine, go on."

Khunbish cleared his throat. "They walked deep into the cavern, to the farthest back. They lit up a campfire, I believe, to wait up for the monster. …Well, as midnight was drawing closer, they began to hear eerie things. Sounds of whimpers and cries, screaming and screeching, coming from nowhere! Bones seemed to rattle, a couple skeletons looked like they had moved from one spot to another…

"Once midnight struck, a wind blew out the fire. Cal and Jace didn't have time to scream- their skin was practically wiped off their bones! When their skeletons were found… well, Batu finally got the mind to seal off the cave- strange thing, though, each night at midnight the barrier was moved,"

"Which cave was this?" Tani asked, though had gulped. "Because I've seen hundreds of caves all around here!"

Khunbish shrugged. "I forget… could be any one of these caves," he began to pace, rubbing his chin. "It's been a couple of years… I know it wasn't too far off," he snapped his fingers. "Now I remember! It was a cave right above the base!" he pointed out the doorway. "Riiiiight above those cliffs there."

Tani flinched, but the small girl straightened her shoulders. "Yeah? If it's up there, why hasn't anyone seen… whatever's picking bones clean?"

"That's the mystery… Methinks it's a cannibal ghost. There's rumors that a hermit lived in this canyon; went so long without meat, he began hunting whatever had flesh- including people." He folded his arms behind his head. "BUT, I doubt a brave girl like you would be startled by such a thing. …Even though it's been years since anyone's been in that cave, and that spirit might be getting pretty hungry—maybe even desperate enough to leave the cave and come down here…"

The tiny sky pirate bit her lip. "N-No way. There's no such thing! G-Ghosts don't eat people!"

*Knock Knock!*

"Eek!" Tani gasped and dived under the table.

Khunbish looked, seeing Tesoro with a couple plates. "Uh, was I interrupting something?" she asked.

"Nah, just keeping the lass in line," Khunbish replied, grabbing the sandwiches. Tesoro gave a shrug and walked off, and he went over to the table, where his charge was still hiding. "C'mon out, Mistress Tani. Our food's here,"

"N-No way! If I eat now, that ghost may think I'm fat enough to eat!"

He rolled his eyes. "Don't worry… I hear ghosts hate…" he looked at her sandwich. "…Cheese. Can't stand the stuff, it gives them gas. Now c'mon up and eat!"

"Okay… but you'd better be right!"

"Have I ever been wrong?"

"Well-"

"Never mind, just eat."

After eating their sandwiches, it came time for bed.

Problem: Tani refused to sleep, for the obvious reason involving Khunbish's ghost-story.

The teen pirate would be sitting at the table picking his teeth, while she sat up in bed. "Khunbish…" she called. "I can't sleep…"

"Try counting llapacas," he retorted, looking out the window.

"Will you tell me a story? …NOT a scary one?"

He sighed, dragging a chair over to the side of the bed, sitting down. "Alright, alright… Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young maiden traversing the seas. One day, her ship was overswept by pirates- such as ourselves- but she was not afraid, for one of them was handsome, charming, intelligent, a great shot with an arrow, not bad with flying either…"

"Get on with it, air-head."

He gave her a look. "No talking, or no story. …Now, the pirates decided to hold her captive for ransom, but the longer they kept her, the more charmed the handsome one became. Eventually it got to the point where they would dance together beneath the moonlight, both of them fallen in love…"

"Yech! You didn't tell me it would be romantic! I'd rather hear the ghost story again…"

"Hush, or I'll throw you into the cave myself. Now, trouble came when the pirates were pursued by soldiers, one of them being the former beau of the maiden. In an attempt to win her heart back, he got in a vicious fight with her pirate love! Swords clashed, arrows were shot, bombs were set off- the whole ship was ablaze in fire! The pirate ended up wounded, and it seemed the soldier would gain the upper hand… that is, until the maiden jumped into the fight, for the pirate had taught her skills as well. She ended up taking him off-guard and threw the soldier into the sea!"

"And did the two of them get married?"

"Hmm… nope. The pirate decided, with a bounty on his head, he couldn't risk his beloved being at-risk, and dropped her off on the next coast. She moved on, deciding to remain single, no longer wanting to be bothered with romance and live her own life. The end."

"What?! That's not how these stories end! Whatever happened to happy endings?"

Khunbish leaned back, looking out the window. "When ye get out in the world, you'll find there's no place where someone lives happily ever after… ye either settle with what ye got, or ye die chasing a dream."

Tani shook her head. "Well, I don't believe that. I'll make it to a happily ever after, you'll see!"

He chuckled, patting her head. "Whatever you say, li'l mistress." He stood up, heading back over to the table.

…

"Khunbish?"

He hadn't even sat down for five seconds before the small girl called again, her voice smaller. He looked over; it was then he noticed the room had grown darker, and the candle they had for light was starting to dim. "Yes, what is it?"

She shifted. "…is there a way to keep ghosts out?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. Sure, scaring the lass in order to teach her a lesson was fun at first, but seeing her startled now left guilt in his heart. (That, and he knew Batu would beat him senseless if he found out the archer gave his daughter nightmare-fuel).

He looked around, before grabbing her crossbow, handing her an arrow. "Here- these arrows are made with silver. Silver keeps all sorts of spooks at bay," he sat down by the bed again, grabbing a spear. "I'll stay up and keep guard, you go to sleep."

"I'm not going to sleep! That ghost could swoop down and eat us both the moment we shut our eyes!"

Khunbish sighed. He gave up. "Enough with the ghost talk! I made up the whole tale. There's no such thing as a cannibal g-"

*clank!*

The two froze, looking toward the doorway… where a bone had been dropped.

Both exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"Move over!" the archer quickly said, both of them hiding under the covers, peeking out with their arrow and spear.

…

High up at the sentry post, Tyson and Jonesy were finishing a snack of ribs. "Oi! Don't just throw th' bones over th' ledge, ya half-wit! …I plan on makin' a necklace outta 'em," Tyson scoffed.

"Right, they should go great with your 'chicken-bone belt'," Jonesy quipped, getting elbowed.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Batu arrived back at the base early the next morning. Had it not been for a few pesky Wyverns, they would have been back by midnight.

First thing on his mind was to see how Khunbish fared against Tani. Walking by the hut, he was surprised to see the teen slumped against the bed, wide awake and looking like he hadn't slept the whole night! Tani, meanwhile, seemed like she had just fallen asleep.

Upon noticing his boss was back, Khunbish scrambled to his feet, giving a salute. "Welcome back, boss," he said.

"What's with ye, lad?" Batu asked. "Ye look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Where?!" Upon instinct, Khunbish aimed his spear, his eyes darting around.

The Sky Pirate leader crossed his arms. "Alright, Khunbish, what went on last night? An' if it involves why me daughter is sleeping with her bow, there'd best be a good explanation!"

"Er, uh, n-nothing sir! We just told a couple stories last night. Stayed up playing er, uh, 'stakeout'."

Batu looked him square in the eye; he could tell the teen was evading the truth. "Mark me words, boy- watch what tales ye tell!"

"Y-Yes sir…"

"Now, go back to yer hut- ye look too bedraggled to handle anything this morning. Ye can give me details once the sleep's outta yer eyes,"

"Aye aye, boss…" With that, Khunbish left.

Batu shook his head, deciding to walk over and see if Tani could give him details the teen was hiding. His foot stepped on a loose floorboard-

*Creeaaaak!*

"EEEK!" Tani shrieked and took fire!

*THONK!*

Batu dove out of the way, watching as the small arrow stuck to the wall!

"Oh! Hi, dad…" Tani replied sheepishly. She gasped, then ran up and hugged his leg. "Dad! You're back! Thank goodness, I was worried the cannibal ghost got you!"

The captain turned toward the doorway, seeing Chingus walking by. "Oi, Chingus, do me a favor,"

"What is it, boss?" Chingus asked.

Batu pried an arrow off the wall, thinking. "Tell Khunbish that, for the next three weeks… he's gonna help Tani with target practice,"

"Oh, he's gonna help instruct her?"

"No… he's gonna be the target!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: No one knows discipline like a pirate father XD (I hope I got the dialogue right- pirate talk always gives me trouble)

Also trivia: Tesoro, Tyson and Jonesy are names of my 'Treasure Planet' OC's from an older story (I had no idea what kind of names to include when it came to individual sky pirates). Hope you enjoyed this tidbit- next chapter, it's back to Dad!Roland and Evan stuffs!

*THONK!*

(an arrow pierces the wall above my head)

…That is, unless _my_ pirate-beau catches me. Bye! *flees*

Khunbish: Ye get back here, ya blasted girl! We binge-watched comedies together, an' then ye go and pull something like this?! …GET OUT OF THAT TAXI AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN- Er, I mean woman! Whatever ye are! *gives chase*

Swaine: *watching from the sidelines* I warned him, but did he listen? …Anyway, you all know the drill. Review, don't flame, and lets hope she focuses on other stories.

Evan: You mean like _Author's no Kuni_?

Roland: Or _Wizards and Werewolves_?

Tani: How about _Like A Brother_?

ATF (my brother): *pops up* or she can let me borrow the laptop so I can update _Thicker than Blood!_

Swaine: T_T I mean ones that don't include me!


	7. Safe and Sound

This idea hit me like a train filled with cement while on fire… and hijacked by pirate ninjas.

Yes those exist. Spread the word, the world must know!

Anyways, this is going to be [slightly] AU, maybe a few characters OOC… oh and expect a reference from another Ghibli movie :D

Disclaimer: *is hit by the same cement-filled pirate-ninja controlled flaming train*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _He stumbled through the swamps in the rain. Normally the glows of various fungi or creatures would give him some light, but any hint of a sparkle was shrouded by the inky blackness of the storm._

 _There were shouts behind him. Had they followed him all this way? Did he not keep discrete enough?_

 _Climbing up some gnarled branches, he hid himself as best as he could in the foliage, pushing himself as far as he could go._

 _He watched as silhouettes of his kidnappers ran by, lanterns held high. Hedgehounds barked; they were trained as guard/attack dogs, so no one could escape. He remembered their bites all too well, his leg still bleeding from when one bit it, his cloak torn when they tried to pry him back._

 _Had it not been for his higgledy, Flim-Flame, he would have never escaped. But distracting the hounds with a blaze of fire was the most his companion could do- without the rest of the itty-bitty comrades at his side, he was powerless._

 _The kidnappers searched everywhere… one of them was coming towards the tree._

 _He leaned back…_

 _Too far, he fell._

" _Over here!" One of the kidnappers hollered as they heard the yell of their captive._

 _They normally didn't care so much about escapees, as most kids they snatched were too young and weak to get far, but this case was different._

 _They expected a large ransom for capturing a young king._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _~Meanwhile (as the authoress was being torched by Evan's fans)~_

It had been two days, and with each passing hour Roland was growing anxious.

No, no he's been anxious ever since Evan was kidnapped.

He was on the verge of a panic-attack.

The chief consul looked around the area. They had been in Gold Paw when it happened; they had been meeting with Pugnacious about how he could remodel his dice-making shop into something that would be of help for his citizens in his mission to make amends for cheating them.

Someone had to have been watching their every move after they left the palace.

It had been dark and everyone decided to stay at the Inn; Batu was taking Leander to the casinos in order to introduce the chancellor to the 'art of gambling', Bracken was taking apart the trick-dice to see how they worked after Tani started telling her about them, and Roland was with Evan and Lofty, the trio deciding to walk around to see if there were any requests that needed fulfilled.

They had been speaking with a gray-haired canine, Ricardo Barkus, who was willing to join their kingdom to pursue his career as a therapist, but needed a client to work with in order to get started. The trio split up to find anyone suitable; Roland had found a young man who wanted to overcome his fear of the dark, when Lofty had ran up to him in a frenzy.

"Have ya seen Evan? He was 'round yur a minute ago, then 'Poof!' ended up vanishing!" the Kingmaker had stated.

They had looked all over; Lofty stated the last time he saw Evan, he was talking to someone before his small yellow companion needed to use the 'little Kingmaker's room'.

Apparently, someone had been waiting for Evan to be alone, as he was nowhere to be seen since then.

They had asked every citizen, guard, and soon called upon their comrades when the search grew desperate. Pugnacious ordered his men to search the city when the young King wasn't found by dawn.

However, a note was sent to them; specifically, it was for Roland. _"If you want to see your precious king again…"_ it began, having cut-out letters. But Roland didn't pay attention to the demands- not only were they asking for a ridiculous amount of money amongst other luxuries, but there was no way he was going to give in to the demands of kidnappers!

Even though the final line chilled him… _"You have three days to deliver, or the brat dies."_

Batu rallied his men to search everywhere for any traces of Evan, as well as keep an eye out for any suspicious characters. Bracken posted word on Leafbook, while telling Zip to send over some tracking-drones to assist with their search; Leander also informed Nerea to have the All-Seeing Eye keep on the lookout, while also requesting the mermen-guards search the seas for any chary vessels.

Even Mausinger, once he heard the news, had his most valiant guards combing the lands for the son of his late-friend. "I didn't make peace with the lad just for him to vanish!" he had stated.

At first everyone believed Doloran was to blame, but ever since the mysterious man stole Mausinger's kingsbond, all had been quiet. It was unsettling of course, but Lofty claimed if the snake-masked baddie was trying to rob Evan of their kingsbond, he would have sensed something.

Everyone kept up the search from day to night.

Now it was Day 2. They had until tomorrow night to fulfill the ransom, or let their king die.

Batu and Tani kept watch over the location where the ransom was to be delivered; in a tree-trunk in the forest. Niall, as well as a few forest-dwellers Evan had helped, kept their eyes and ears peeled as well, but no one showed up.

And Roland was just about at his wits end. He kept looking at the letter, trying to find some sort of hint on where they could be hiding, but it was too vague.

 _Evan… where ARE you?_ The young president kept wondering with each search. Despite everyone's insistence that he needed rest, he kept at it; he only had to make sure he didn't act as disheveled as he looked, otherwise the kidnappers would use his weakness against him.

That is… if the following could be counted as a 'weakness'.

It was early morning on the third day. Someone was walking to the tree, poking his head in to search for something… only to be captured by Batu. A few other kidnappers, who were standing by in case of ambush, rushed in to assist, but failed to realize that he had his own backup standing nearby as well.

After a fight, the kidnappers were confronted by all the council members. None of them dared to speak.

But it was Roland who got through to them. "Tell me… how much do you value your lives?" he asked, his tone dark. "Ask yourselves this: are they really worth stealing a child over? No… How about doom a whole monarchy? Is it worth breaking apart a peace-treaty that took months to initiate? …I looked at your demands, and they don't even measure up to such worth. Nothing does. All the money and valuables in the world will NEVER give your actions merit… and yet you're willing to have your blood spilled, rather than confess. For what? There is nothing you can gain from this. NOTHING.

"Do you treat it like a game? That it doesn't matter whether you die or get your petty ransom, as long as you cause someone pain? …Are you willing to die for a cheap thrill? Let me tell you this now- I have fought monsters that my own world has only seen in nightmares. I have travelled to places with danger around every corner, fighting in battles with only a sliver of health left, and risked my life day after day; for what, you may ask? Evan, whose life is worth more to me than any reward.

"That's probably what you expected, didn't you? You think I'd hand over all our goods to get him back safely? …I can't trust your word. See, kidnappers, once they see how desperate someone is, will keep raising the price until they're satisfied, even hurting their captive in order to push their loved ones over the edge. Well, I'll tell you something now…"

*Swish!*

Roland's sword was suddenly at one of their necks, his gaze filled with malice. "You don't want to push me over the edge. If anything happens to my son, you can be damn-well sure worse will happen to you. The longer he's gone, the more ruthless your punishment shall be. …Now, do you wish to confess, or do you really think your lives are worth losing for this?"

Whether it was because of the ferocity in his eyes or the threat in his tone, or just the strong aura he let off, one of the kidnappers caved and told them where their operations were held- in an abandoned cave not far from the swamps. Immediately, Batu and the guards were sent to search them- not just for Evan, but for any more kidnapped children, and to raise hell for any cohorts of the captors.

"W-Wait!" One kidnapper, this one a woman, stammered. "H-He's not there!"

"Where are you hiding him?!" Roland snarled.

"We're not! He… He escaped… We've been searching for him since the other night! He ran into the swamps, and that's the last place we saw him go! Then… he just vanished!"

Roland glared, gripping her by the throat. "If you're lying to me-!"

"Roland!" Bracken hollered, looking at her screen. "I had one of the drones scan the area- Evan IS there!"

Roland released the kidnapper, ordering the guards to lock them away. Without a moment's hesitation, he made his way to the nearest short-cut that would take him to the swamps.

"Crikey… I didn't think he'd go that far…" Lofty whispered as he and Tani made haste to follow.

"Ha! As if the rest of us wouldn't get brutal if someone hurt Evan-" Tani began to scoff.

"Not that, lass! I meant about what Roland said!"

Tani scratched her head. "…I've made worse threats,"

"Don't tell me you missed it!"

"Missed what? I was too busy waiting for one of those weaklings to pass out from fright,"

"Agh, seriously? Roland called Evan his son!"

Tani paused, recalling that tidbit, but having been so focused on making sure they got answers she didn't give it any mind until now. "Oh…"

Thinking about it, Roland did have that look on his face Batu would have, whenever someone threatened her… She knew Roland and Evan were good friends, and the chief consul had been helping the young king in all sorts of lessons, but she didn't exactly picture them as father-and-son.

It was clear as day now that there was a stronger connection.

Shaking her head, she looked at Lofty. "Never mind that now. Right now, we need to get our king back- huh?" she paused, seeing the Kingmaker was nowhere in sight.

"…well, c'mon and hop to it then!" Lofty called from up ahead.

"Hey! Wait up, you little gnome…!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Breathing.

He heard breathing.

…

He could FEEL breathing!

Evan's eyes opened; his vision was a bit blurred, but he could make out some plants; he was in a dark place, though there was a glow of various colored fungi here and there. A hint of sunlight was also peeking in through the treetop.

The last thing he remembered was falling back… he crashed through something, sliding down a hollowed opening of the tree, landing on something before blacking out.

That something was what was breathing very loudly.

Evan's eyes widened and he sat up, finding himself on top of a large, furry creature! He gasped, trying to scoot back but ended up rolling off and landing in the dirt. The massive creature stirred, its head turning to face him as its eyes groggily opened, taking notice of the young king.

The young grimalkin made himself keep calm, despite his trembling; he didn't have his sword, and he had doubts Flim-Flame would have enough power to take on such a large beast! He didn't have enough magicka at his use, still too weary from his ordeal to do anything.

The creature sat up, looking at him; it had two long ears, whiskers, and gray fur with a white underbelly. In a way, it reminded Evan of a large rabbit. It yawned, showing its large teeth- however, as round as they looked, it was easy to deduce this wasn't a carnivore… but he didn't let his guard down as the creature looked at him.

"P… Please…" Evan stated, mustering all his courage, Flim-Flame ducked behind his shoulder. "I just want to get back to my friends…"

His friends…

How long had he been away from them? Were they alright? What if Doloran had attacked in his absence?

As if sensing his concern, the large furry creature scooped Evan up, holding him against its fluff, his higgledy clinging onto his shoulder. It then gave him a large, friendly smile…

*WHOOSH!*

Before leaping straight up to the tree-tops! It then launched itself into the sky, soaring over and letting out a large roar; down below, the trees in the swamp parted, showing a group walking through the marsh. Evan could make out a familiar mess of black hair tied back. "Roland!" he exclaimed.

With grace, the large creature landed in a clearing close to the group. Giving Evan a nod, it then leaped back into the air, disappearing.

"T-Thank you!" Evan called to the creature.

"Evan…? EVAN!"

Hearing his friend's voice, Evan turned and ran through the bushes, crashing into Roland; however, during the impact, the chief consul wrapped his arms tightly around the king, who did likewise within the same moment. "Roland… I'm so glad to see you!" the grimalkin sobbed in relief.

"Thank God… I was so worried we'd lost you…" Roland whispered, tears rolling down his face as well.

Tani and Bracken stood back, allowing the two to have their moment. "Oi! What's that up there?" Lofty gasped, pointing up.

Tani followed his gaze, seeing a large, furry creature watching from a high branch, while playing a flute. "What? I don't see anything?" Bracken asked, though the beast remained invisible to her.

"…agh, never mind. It en't doing harm. For now…" Lofty then rushed forth. "EVAN! Crikey, mun, don't scare us like that!"

Tani shrugged to herself, rushing forth and hugging Evan as well. "So you escaped, huh? …Heh, drat, I was hoping this time I'd be the one rescuing you!" she lightly joked. "Seriously, what happened?"

"First, lets get him back to the castle," Roland said, noticing Evan's wounded leg. "You can tell us everything once we get you healed up and well-rested,"

"The same goes for you!" Bracken added, giving Roland a slug in the arm. "You haven't slept a wink since this whole mess began!"

Nodding, Roland picked up Evan, carrying him back to the shortcut that led to Evermore; once back to the castle, he carried him clear to his room while Bracken and Tani spread the word of Evan's safe return; Lofty went with the king and chief consul, vowing not to leave his side again.

With some soreaway and a bit of food, Evan was soon back in good health, falling asleep in the comfort of his bed; Roland fell asleep in a chair next to him, able to get some rest now that he knew the boy was safe.

Lofty looked at the image once, before lying down to sleep. "Aye, like father and son indeed…" he chuckled to himself, drifting off.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Later in the afternoon, once he had gotten enough sleep, Evan told everyone what happened.

"I was waiting for Lofty, when a stranger called me over claiming they were looking for their pet. They led me into an alley, and suddenly a cloth was pushed against my face and I blacked out! I woke up in a cave, and had to sneak out…" he explained. "But they had hedgehounds on guard; they chased after me, but Flim-Flame managed to keep them back long enough for me to reach the swamps.

"I had to hide when I heard them coming after me, and… I fell inside a tree. When I opened my eyes, I was on top of a large creature! But… it didn't attack me or anything. Rather, it helped me find you!"

"Sounds like a Roroto, a Tree Spirit," Niall explained, rubbing his chin. "They live in trees and are very peaceful, and can only be seen by children and other creatures,"

"So that's why Bracken didn't see it!" Tani exclaimed.

"We'll have to remember to find its tree and give it a proper 'thank you' gift," Roland said, patting Evan's shoulder.

"I agree. …But first, I want to make sure these kidnappers are dealt with," Evan stated firmly. "I want to make sure they're all caught, and none of them go after any kids again!"

"Har har, th' boys and I got that covered, your highness!" Batu assured with a grin. "We raided their base to the core- none of those swabs knew what was coming to 'em, an' fell to their knees begging for forgiveness!" he crossed his arms, his grin fading. "However, they still got some accomplices planted places, so we'd best be on the lookout."

"Spread the word to the other kingdoms. Make sure everyone knows not to go anywhere alone with a stranger, and the tricks they use to lure in their victims. They got me by claiming their pet wandered off, and I doubt that's their only method."

Roland grimaced, rubbing his chin. "Kidnappers in my world used setups like that too. They also bribe kids with candy, money, or set up traps such as drugging food and drinks, or leaving something like dollar bills or notes on windshields. Some even pretend to be law enforcement to trick people, so you have to be extra careful and do some checking," he stated, sighing. "Sometimes they're reckless, and will take infants right out of their mother's arms… people like that make me sick,"

"Really? All that for some measly ransom?" Niall questioned.

"It's not always about ransom… sometimes… they do horrible things to people, or sell them to people with evil intentions; it gets so bad that sometimes you'd believe the victims would be better off dead,"

"No wonder you were so furious," Tani stated, recalling the hatred in Roland's eyes.

"Oh yeah! We forgot to tell ye about that, mun!" Lofty exclaimed, turning to Evan. "Ye should've seen Roland yur, speaking with such venom in his voice an' making those sissies go pale! An', get this, he called ye his-"

"Your highness!" came a holler, as one of the guards came running in. "There's been a sighting of soldiers making up camps in the Heartlands; they mean to start a skirmish!"

"Back to business, I suppose," Roland sighed.

"Are ye in a condition to fight, lad?" Batu asked Evan.

"Yes, I'll be alright. Plus, we've recruited some new soldiers who have been eager to show us their skills," Evan assured, as everyone walked out.

"What the…? Oi! Come back yur! I was just about to tell ye the best part!" Lofty called, running after them.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The Skirmish went well, the enemy forces falling back within the night. It was near midnight when Evermore's forces returned home, and everyone was ready for some sleep.

Save for two.

Roland and Evan, despite the fiasco had a happy ending, still had trauma from the kidnapping experience.

For the young king, he felt discouraged and mortified that he had let his guard down, feeling so naïve that he didn't think twice about following some stranger into an alley without anyone else. Had he been more cautious and aware of his surroundings, the ordeal might have been avoided.

He was still shaken from the experience; waking up in the dark, having to run from hounds, the bite-marks, the dizziness from the chloroform, and the pounding in his heart as he ran for his life, searching for a shortcut back home.

Unable to sleep, he got up and headed to the castle's kitchen for some tea, feeling he would be up a while…

For the chief consul, he felt guilt and dread; if he had stuck with Evan in Gold Paw, he might have kept the kidnappers at bay; now he was ill with apprehension, unable to keep visions of 'what if' out of his head. Deep down he knew he couldn't be at the boy's side all the time- something he had to remind himself back in his world with his own son.

Son…

" _If anything happens to my son…"_

His eyes widened as he recalled his words. In all honesty though, nearly losing Evan did cause him the same amount of worry if his own child had gone missing. The lack of sleep might have had a part in it as well, but the bottom line was… he didn't want to lose a child.

Standing up, he decided to check on Evan once more.

The two of them met in the corridor.

"Evan? Is everything alright?" Roland asked.

"I'm alright… somewhat…" Evan humbly replied; he looked at the young president. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah… it's just… well, I can't get over what happened,"

"I suppose that makes two of us…"

Roland cleared his throat. "Well… at least something good came out of it. We managed to stop those kidnappers. Some of them may be out there, but with word going around their plots are going to be harder to execute."

"I know… but… it's not just that," Evan looked out a window at the starry sky. "I was hoping I had been strong enough to handle myself by now… but I ended up falling for a trap, and…"

"And you managed to get out and hide somewhere safe." Roland rubbed his back, wrapping his arm around his shoulders as they walked. "You thought someone needed help… but it turned out to be a con. You didn't know such people existed; now you know you have to be more careful. But from now on, be sure someone's always at your side when you help with requests,"

"What about you? You were alone after we split up,"

"…True, but that was my mistake; we all should have stuck together. We'll be careful next time," he held him close. "For now… I should be thankful. Not all cases like this turn out good. If anything happened to you… well, I don't know what I'd do."

Evan winced. "My father said something like that to me, once. I had wandered off and climbed up a tree, falling out and twisting my ankle. He was more worried than furious, and I guess that's when he had Aranella double as my governess AND bodyguard. …when she died, I felt lost." He looked up at the older man. "But, you're here with me. When I was kidnapped, my biggest fear was that I wouldn't get to see you again- that I wouldn't get to see any of you again…

"I want to make sure no one has to face such a fear…" he continued, looking out the window again. "No more kidnappings, no more wars or pain… If a child goes missing, I want to make sure they're found within the hour- no, that it's all part of a game of hide-and-seek, that should be the only time a child can't be found! And no one loses anyone ever again…"

"Evan… you're shaking," Roland said, feeling the young king trembling.

Evan took a deep breath. "I-I'm sorry… this whole thing has me more rattled than I thought," he rubbed his face. "It's just horrible…"

"I know… and… sometimes you can't always promise safety. I know I can't follow you around forever, and I can't say bad things won't happen… but whatever does happen, I'll be doing something to help. Someone out there always will,"

"I suppose that's true… that spirit helped me, after all. But you're right… there's going to come a time when I have to do things on my own, so I have to be ready."

"You're never alone, Evan, keep that in mind." Roland looked at a clock on the wall. "Right now, it's getting late, and I don't think the rest we've gotten today will suffice,"

Evan looked down the hallway; he didn't really want to return to his room alone, despite the reassurance his friend gave. His imagination would no doubt play tricks on him, making him imagine some kidnapper sneaking in and dragging him away the moment he rounded the corner.

Roland looked at him. At the same time, he wasn't ready to let the king out of his sight, especially with the lingering fear that he might wake up and find him gone again. "Would you like to stay in my room for the night?" he asked.

"R-Really?" Evan responded out of surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah… I don't think sleeping alone would be a good idea after this,"

"Okay," Evan cleared his throat. "But… just for tonight. Once morning comes, I'm sure we'll both feel better,"

"Right. Just for tonight,"

Entering Roland's bedroom, the two settled in. Not quite ready for sleep, the two went over kingdom reports from the last three days- thankfully all the businesses were doing well, peace was maintained during Evan's absence (perhaps everyone kept the citizens from learning about his kidnap), and they had a couple new recruits who were moving in right away.

After that the two decided to read. Evan found a story based on the puzzle he had to solve about the boy, fairy, musician, gun-slinger, and wizard who fought an evil dragon- without a puzzle to solve, he managed to get more invested in the story, telling Roland all about it as he listened with interest, often taking over the reading when the boy's voice grew tired.

Eventually, exhaustion finally reached them, and the two drifted off. In his sleep, Evan clung to Roland, who patted his back in his subconscious state. A feeling of security came upon them, as the king felt safe after nights of peril, and the president felt relief knowing he was at his side.

And side-by-side was how they planned to stay… until the day came when it was time for them to part.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: *the authoress has died from cuteness overload*

*special thanks to those who did not join the angry mob*

*cookies to those who spotted the _My Neighbor Totoro_ reference*

*please review; flamers will be struck with Batu's war-hammer*

…

*please also don't tell anyone we 'borrowed' it*


	8. A Pirate's Life

Okay, I know everyone is expecting some more Roland and Evan fluff, but this plot entered my head and wouldn't leave.

Note: If any of the DLC's say otherwise about this plot, please let me know. I would find out myself, but I cannot afford a PS4 or the game, and watching Let's Plays has become difficult as Youtube's copyright system has gone AWOL, so… bear with me and enjoy!

Another Note: _Italics_ will be Khunbish's side of the story. …Yes I'm including him again, get used to it!

Disclaimer: *is struck with a war-hammer*

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The memory was still fresh in his mind. The captain had been slain, many members of the crew dropping like flies in the frenzy, as the Wyvern enemies swooped and dived all around them. The women were screaming, the children were crying… it seemed they didn't have a prayer.

'Seemed' being the key word, for one of the younger pirates decided to take action. Grabbing a war-hammer, he charged at the largest Wyvern and- while it was busy gnawing the bones of a victim- struck its skull with all his might, crushing it within 3 strikes. Another swooped down and grabbed him by the shoulders, but he swung upward and smashed its beak in! As he dropped down, he caught another by the wring of its neck and twisted its head, snapping it! Upon landing, he picked up the crossbow of a fallen ally and fired at the Wyverns occupied with assaults on his crew.

"GRAB YER BLOODY WEAPONS AN' ATTACK!" The young pirate, who was no more than 15 at this time, belted out to warriors still standing. He then began shouting orders- who to attack from what angle, who carries the rear, hollering at the archers to get a higher ground.

A pirate, much younger than him who was no older than 8, assisted by bringing him arrows when his ammo ran low, using a sword to fend off any Wyverns that drew too close—for a child he knew how to wield the blade well.

Soon the enemy surrendered, fleeing to the caves in the cliffs from whence they came. The injured were tended to, the dead piled in an alcove for the time being until they had the equipment to haul them to the shore, as it was customary to give fallen comrades a burial at-sea.

Near the end, everyone stood around him, taking a knee. "Mates, please- all I's did was fend off those blasted buzzards! Those twits were so full of themselves, celebrating victory prematurely, that it was a good opportunity to catch 'em off-guard!" he said in modesty.

"Aye, but they's had us hanging by a thread after they took th' life o' Ouda," another sky pirate spoke up. "She's was the best leader I's ever saw… now she rests in peace," he looked to the young pirate before them. "In her absence, ye led us to victory… to that we owe ye our lives. Even the eldest of us had no plan but to retreat, but ye didn't give up hope- for that, we follow you now… Captain Batu."

The teen paused, looking around at his mates, his family…

He knew from now on he had a responsibility to carry- a weight on his shoulders that he would have to lift on his own. He looked around at his crew, and the pile of the deceased, and closed his eyes. It was a great burden, but one he was proud to carry, promising to ensure their safety, that their base will be protected from enemies…

A place where they could feel _free._

"What are yer orders now, boss?" The younger pirate who had assisted him in the battle asked. Batu now recognized him as Chingus, the son of their blacksmith. (No wonder he was so good with that blade of his, having practically grown up around them).

Batu stood tall, turning to the rest. "Get to work building a cart, we've got mates to put to rest at sea! An' stock up well on lumber, for tonight we build our base!" he pointed uphill, at a large area that gave a view of the sea. "We set up camp there- those high winds will do us good for our vessels, and it be far enough from those blasted Wyverns' cave so they can't get the jump on us again! Move out!"

Immediately, the crew got to work. The young Batu looked at the dead, particularly the captain. Long ago, she promised she would give them all a good life, far from the society that rejected and cursed them. They were all scallywags to the eyes of others, not welcome for their rugged natures. He himself was orphaned, remaining so as other families found him 'too high spirited' to keep…

But Ouda gave them all a place, being a reject herself. One by one she took in anyone who was disowned, abandoned, or rejected by the high-expectations of those around them. Altogether they showed those who thought themselves 'high and mighty' how rough the world really was on those downtrodden, taking goods that would help them get by… at times executing those who dare tried to lay siege on them. It was a dirty business, being a pirate, but Ouda took every risk to ensure her dream to come true.

A dream to give everyone lost a safe haven.

And Batu planned to fulfill that dream… no matter how long it took.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _"_ _Pierre! Stop that racket!" his mother shouted._

 _The child of five, who had been spending the last five minutes sliding down the carpeted stairs on his belly, stopped and looked at her. "But mum, it's fun!" he explained, climbing up the stairs. "Watch, I pretend I'm a snake, and slithering down-"_

 _"_ _UGH! Enough! You're going to tear the carpet, and your clothes are getting wrinkled! Straighten yourself out! Your sister's pageant starts in half an hour!"_

 _"_ _Can't I stay home with a sitter? Those pageants are boring!"_

 _"_ _Listen to your mother, Pierre." His father firmly stated._

 _The child sat on the middle step in a pout. His parents always stressed about looking fancy- even though they barely had a guilder to their name. They lived in a high-class part of town, too rich for a seamstress and a merchant (who, he later found, thought that by acting like wealthy stuck-ups they would be accepted by the 'more successful' peoples). Every week his mother would have one of his 4 older sisters partake in a pageant, in hopes of being noticed by a wealthy heir or entrepreneur that could boost their reputation._

 _His job was to sit still and be quiet, much too rowdy and wild to be signed up for anything- which he was later thankful for, as years later two of his sisters would suffer from anxiety, one would collapse under pressure, and the last would become a prostitute relying on her physical beauty to make a living._

 _As for him… well, had he known the plans he'd make, chances are he would have ran away sooner._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

By 18, Batu had hardened his heart. Even the eldest of the pirates dared not trifle with him!

When that horde of Whamsters came charging up, he let out a rally cry and led his troops forth; Chingus, though only 11, continued to show his skills in swordplay, helping the crew drive them back. Best, yet, he introduced a tactic to his captain of calling in an air-raid if numbers grew too thick.

They used it in their next battle, when mercenaries that were called in to eradicate the 'pirate problem' in Cloudcoil Canyon, bringing their own horde… but none that could withstand the drop of explosives. By sundown, their enemies had no choice but to retreat.

But Batu didn't take every victory to heart. Their enemies would grow stronger, and their base only consisted of a few huts and a wall. "Build higher! We need some lookout posts! …Revlis! Get to work on making us more spears 'n' blades, our artillery is runnin' thin! Chingus, tell our air-support to work on their drops, they almost missed half those mongrels!" he shouted to his crew as they returned to base.

"Captain!" came a shout as one of the pirates ran forth. "Captain, it's Leah! She's gone into labor!"

Batu did a double-take. Leah was almost like a sister to him, who had become with-child some months ago- the father having decided to skip out (or tried to, but when trying to escape got his head smashed on a rock for such betrayal). "So soon?! But she's not due for another 2 months!"

"The medic said it's a preemie, sir. She wishes for your support!"

"Well, lead the way, blast it!"

Normally such a role was suited for a midwife, but at the Sky Pirate Base it did not matter who was at the mother's side during such a painfully blessed event. Batu sat by Leah's side as the delivery had begun, the woman sobbing as she pushed, gripping his hand tightly.

Two hours passed… and so did the mother, the infant a stillborn. Both were wrapped in cloth and sent adrift at sea; Batu watched the casket float off, slowly sinking as the water slipped through the thin cracks.

"Back to work," he ordered his crew, turning and heading up the wooden steps.

"Sir…?" One of the women asked.

"Back to work, I says!" he barked. The crew obeyed.

He looked out at the sea, shaking his head. He refused to let attachment to others weigh him down. He couldn't risk growing soft for any reason, so long as danger and death hung around him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _He had run away when he was 8._

 _He had been practicing archery, having seen soldiers with their crossbows. He created a makeshift bow, painting a target on a tree in order to practice, hoping to become a soldier one day. He practiced in secret, knowing his parents would disapprove- his mother hated weapons and his father found such a life brutish and barbaric._

 _He had some close calls- one of his arrows broke the neighbor's flower-plant (he quickly retrieved it before the evidence could be found); another time an arrow shot through the open window (landing in his third sister's closet- he managed to retrieve the arrow, but his sister and mother both wailed when they found a hole in a dress); and he had to quickly clean off the target when his mother talked about starting a flower garden under the tree._

 _One day his secret was exposed, as one night an intruder broke into the house, trying to steal the money his mother didn't spend on fancy dresses or jewelry. His parents, horrified, had no way of defending the household, while his sisters worried about being deflowered by the vandal. Thus when he, quite sneakily, took his crossbow out from beneath his bed and shot the intruder in the kneecap! With the burglar down, his oldest sister ran for help, while the youngest sister promptly knocked out the fiend with a vase._

 _He was proud of himself for only ten seconds before his parents started scolding him. "A weapon?! Where did you get that ill-gotten thing?!" his mother demanded._

 _"_ _But… I saved everyone!" he stammered. "That man was going to-"_

 _"_ _If we had just given him what he wanted, he would have left us alone! And you only put us more in danger by carrying around this- THING!" his father spat, taking his bow and breaking it over his knee!_

 _"_ _N-No! Please…!"_

 _"_ _Up to your room, young man! …I think it's time we started teaching you how a gentleman SHOULD behave!" his mother sneered. She turned to the youngest sister. "…As for you, do you know how much that vase cost?! This hooligan would have passed out eventually from blood-loss- ugh! And we'll have to get the carpet removed!"_

 _He ran upstairs to his room, sobbing. He listened as his sister returned with one of the soldiers- listening as his parents claimed the burglar was clumsy and fell on his own weapon. Trembling in anger, the lad ripped off his sheets, tying them together and climbing out the window. So his parents didn't appreciate the fact that he saved their bloody lives? Fine. He would run away!_

 _…_

 _He ran through the wilderness, ending up lost for a few days only to be found- by a pack of Wyverns. "Well, well, well! What do we have here…?" the largest of the pack questioned._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

He was fully grown now. He was still ruthless as a warrior and strong as a leader.

He had sent Chingus, now a bulky teenager, out with a couple men to scout the area. "If ya see any trespassers, ya bring 'em here!" he had ordered.

Within three hours, two of his men returned. "Sir! There were Wyverns in the western cliffs!" One of them reported.

"I hope ye sent 'em running! …An' where be Chingus?" Batu demanded. "Did he wander off on his own again?!"

"N-No sir… He's guarding a, uh… captive." The second replied.

"Captive? Why didn't ye bring 'em here?!"

"Apologies, Captain, but we's had to tie him up to a stake. Th' boy acts like a wild animal!"

"Chingus wanted to kill him, but we reminded him it ain't his place to play Judge, Jury an' Executioner- those are yer jobs," the first scout added.

Batu rolled his eyes. "Alright, lead me to 'im. See what kind o' miscreant we got,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Too thin, too bony, and too small. But the Wyverns wanted to eat him anyway._

 _However, after the child begged for mercy perhaps a thousand times, bargaining to do anything to have his life spared, the leader of the Wyverns decided to use him for their benefits._

 _"_ _You will live among us. You will be bait for our hunts. Should you try to run away or show treachery, we will kill you on the spot! …Welcome to the Wyvern Caverns, brat."_

 _For the last few years, he grew up in abuse. The Wyverns only gave him scraps of their meals—at times, he had no choice but to suck on bones of animals they hunted. At night he was forced to stand in the open to draw out vicious beasts. Back in the caves he was placed on a high ledge to sleep on._

 _Once he was standing by a cliff, looking out at the ocean and seeing birds flying. "I wish I could fly," he had whispered to himself._

 _"_ _Then give it a try!" a Wyvern had joked, and kicked him over the edge, letting him plummet and scream before swooping down and grabbing him, dropping him back on level ground, all the winged beasts laughing at the cruel prank._

 _The torment hardened his heart. He grew to be vicious himself. As he got bigger, he would fight against the beasts he was baited for. He had claw marks on his back from when he would challenge a Wyvern to a fight over a scrap of meat. His green hair was long and unruly, and he wore torn rags made from the clothes he outgrew, his skin covered in dirt and wounds._

 _The Wyverns decided to talk him into luring out a new kind of prey, upon seeing his fierce growth. "There's pirate scum that lives deeper in the canyon. Draw them out, and you'll be greatly rewarded," the leader stated._

 _They had gone to the western part of the cliffs, spotting two scouts. He was told to wait until they were around the bend, then jump out of the bushes and take of running, leading them into an ambush._

 _He started running out in the open; once he reached the bridge, that's when the Wyverns would make a move. However, right in the center of the flat, something flew over him just then… and he was tangled in a net! There was a third scout, flying in a small vessel of sorts!_

 _He thrashed in the nets, growling and cursing at the pirate who ambushed him. Said pirate had also spotted the Wyverns, revealing their location and helping his mates get the upper-hand._

 _He watched as the Wyverns abandoned him, leaving him in the hands of the pirates. Still, he put up a fight, but clearly they had more experience in survival than he, as he found himself overpowered and his hands tied- still, he managed to make a run for it, kicking and slamming into his captors. Eventually, his legs were tied and- for good measure- his waist roped to a stake they hammered into the ground._

 _The first two scouts took off to report to their leader, the third remaining watch of him. He snarled and cursed, glaring daggers at the bulky teen with dark-blue hair and thin beard._

 _"_ _Who are ye? Why do ye snarl like th' beasts in this field? Are ye mad in th' head?" the teen questioned, but he only cursed at him again._

 _Soon the other pirates returned, this time with their leader. "Alright, lad, state yer business!" the man snarled._

 _He remained silent. The man struck him, ordering him to speak, but he held his tongue. "Should we kill him, boss?" one of the pirates asked, raising a spear._

 _"_ _Might as well, this one's as bad as a rabid hedgehound," Reaching behind himself, the leader pulled out a crossbow!_

 _His eyes widened. "C… Crossbow! A crossbow!" he gasped; suddenly memories of his childhood flooded back to him, the only pleasant moments when he was shooting at a target. "You… carry bows 'n' arrows?"_

 _"_ _Oi! He speaks!" the third scout exclaimed._

 _"_ _Aye, an' you're about to get it between th' eyes lad!" the leader said in response to his question, taking aim._

 _"_ _Wait! Please… teach me!" he begged; it had been years since he spoke to another human, so he could only spare a few sentences. "I… I always wanted to be a soldier with a crossbow… Let me live, let me join you!"_

 _"_ _Ha! Like we'd let a savage like you in!" the second scout sneered._

 _"_ _Aye, ye'd just turn on us an' try to stab us in th' back!" the first added._

 _"_ _I won't! I… I just want to become an archer. Please…"_

 _The leader sneered. "And how can we trust yer word? Ye barely act human!"_

 _"_ _I… wanted to ever since I was a child… my parents…" he paused then. Had his parents even missed him? Were they at all concerned when he ran away?_

 _"_ _What about yer parents?" the third scout pressed._

 _He looked at the pirates. "They… they wouldn't let me have one… said fancy folk like themselves had no need for weapons…"_

 _"_ _Fancy folk, eh? Hmm… methinks this one comes from a wealthy family, sir." The first scout theorized._

 _"_ _Aye, perhaps we can charge ransom!" The second added. "Can we boss? I've always wanted to ransom off a rich kid!"_

 _The leader looked at him in the eyes. He had to keep eye-contact, resisting the urge to gaze at the crossbow._

 _Finally, the leader spoke. "Take 'im back to base. We'll find out who he belongs to an' see how much they'd be willing to pay," he ordered._

 _The scouts cheered in agreement… and before he knew it he was knocked out cold._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The lad was just as the men had described- restless, wild, and acting mad. Batu in his time had heard of many a man gone insane when living alone in the wilderness too long, whether because of certain berries eaten or the lack of civilized interaction. In any case, he was ready to put down the savage lad.

Until he saw a look in his eyes the moment the crossbow came out, gazing at it as if he had discovered a hidden treasure trove. And begging to join the crew just to own one! Becoming an archer was a dream of his, he said, as his folks were against the idea.

It was nothing new. Quite a few runaways had joined the crew in the past before, whether because of abuse, wanting to live on the edge, or because they were a homeless wanderer. Ouda was always willing to give someone a chance, blindfolding them and leaving them somewhere far from the base if they couldn't pull their weight or follow orders (those who were lucky to survive from a skirmish, that is).

But Ouda was long gone, and he was in charge… and though he had doubts his family was willing to pay ransom for a son who (by his guess) had been living in the wild for years, he threw the scrawny lad into captivity. He would give him a month to sober up from his feral nature, and once he was proven tame enough, then the captain would give consideration in allowing him to join the crew.

If not, then his mates would have a ball throwing someone head-first off the cliffs.

They locked the lad in a hut, built on a corner-edge of the cliff so that the only way out was the locked door- otherwise escape attempts would involve surviving a 1500 foot drop on some sharp rocks below. "Rin, Taias, go find Celest and see if she's heard o' any rich blokes missing a son," he ordered- as Celest was one of few pirates who could wander close to town and was in charge of rumors and reports outside the canyon.

"Aye, boss." Rin replied, as he and Taias took off.

"Do ye want me to continue scouting, Cap'n?" Chingus asked, and Batu could see from the look in his eyes that the teen was just eager to fly about the canyon. Ever since he reached the age of 12 (the 'Sky Pirate' age requirement in learning to fly their vessels), he had been more than eager to take to the skies whenever the opportunity presented itself.

"Har har, nice try lad, but ye've done enough flying 'bout today!" Batu responded, slapping him on the back. "Ye stand guard o' our new prisoner, make sure he don't try any cheap tricks!"

"Yessir!" Sword securely sheathed at his waist, Chingus stood by the door, standing firm as a boulder and looking as serious as a storm.

Batu turned and walked on, though let out a hefty sigh once he was out of earshot. "…He'd better not overdo it with THIS job,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _It was nightfall when he came to. Rubbing his aching head, he looked out the doorway- basically a door built of thick branches in a prison-cell manner- and saw that the teen who ambushed him was the one standing guard. "What's… going to happen to me?" he asked, still finding his voice a bit._

 _"_ _Let's just say… best be hopin' yer mum 'n' dad don't mind spendin' a few arms 'n' legs, otherwise we'll be sending 'em yours as a warning," his guard answered._

 _He sighed, looking down at the ground. "…so I'll be dying, huh?"_

 _"_ _Only if they don't pay,"_

 _"_ _Even if they wanted to… they wouldn't have a guilder to spare,"_

 _The guard arched an eyebrow. "I thought ye said ye came from a fancy fam'ly!"_

 _He shook his head. Even though it had been years, he could still remember how stuck-up his parents acted. "They ACTED like they were fancy... I ran away when I was a kid after they broke my bow,"_

 _"_ _An' ye've been living out here alone since then?"_

 _"_ _N-No… those Wyverns snatched me up one day…" he scowled. "Made me play bait if I wanted to live."_

 _"_ _What?! You're tied with those beak-faced bastards?! …Oh, I sees now! Ye were tryin' to lure me mates into a trap! That was yer plan- but ol' Chingus got th' drop on ya!"_

 _He sighed again, nodding. "Yeah…" he walked away from the door, sitting down by a window._

 _His guard, Chingus, began to question him about any other plans the Wyverns had, while throwing in a few slurs, but he barely paid attention. He only looked up at the moon and stars. There was no use wishing that he were anywhere else… he knew he would be dying soon._

 _That is, if the captain hadn't given him a chance._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The days went by slowly. Between the usual scouting, occasional raids, and resource checks, Batu had added 'Prisoner Sentry' to the list of jobs for the crew.

Celest had reported three days after his capture. "I learned from a whore in th' nearby town that a family had a missin' son, but they weren't rich. Said she came from th' family, an' her folks only searched for th' lad 3 days before givin' up- used th' tale to get attention, but after it became ol' news they moved on. Only th' middle sister was upset, but she claimed she was under a lot o' emotional stress 'n' would cry over th' drop o' a pin." She informed.

"So there's no use in askin' fer ransom," one pirate said. "Guess we might as well skin 'im,"

"Aye! Chingus said that lad was working with those blasted Wyverns!" spoke up another. "Said they'd use him as bait!"

"Let's throw him off th' cliffs!/No, drown 'im in th' sea!/Drag that rotter by th' toes!/Leave him tied down in th' desert an' leave him to th' beasts!/I wanna set him on fire!" several pirates spoke at once.

"SILENCE!" Batu bellowed, quieting everyone. "I's deal with prisoners th' way I see fit! …an' fer gosh sakes Grace, we're not settin' anyone on fire!"

"Aye, sir…" a pirate girl of 16 sighed, sadly extinguishing a torch in a water barrel.

"If I may ask, boss, what _should_ we do with him?" one pirate asked. "We're wastin' food tryin' to feed him, 'n' all he does is lie around th' prison hut."

"Let me handle him… as for his ties w' those Wyverns, stop yer worryin'; ye saw those scars on his back. Ye think he got those from a Whamster? He was nothin' but a lure to 'em. If they cared so much 'bout him, they'd be tryin' to get 'im back as if he were one o' their eggs! Keep in mind, when it comes to other creatures- humans especially- those featherbrained twits don't give a damn 'bout what happens to 'em, so long as they get off scot-free,"

"Are ye sure, boss? Suppose they're using him as a spy!" questioned another.

"Then we'll kill him at the first sign of treachery! Give 'im a few more days, an' we'll see how serious he is about wantin' to join us,"

"J-Join us?! Boss, are ye serious?!" the pirate Rin gasped.

"Oy! Th' lad said he wanted to be an archer, didn't he? We need a few more… especially after that _incident_ at the eastern ridge!"

Grace cringed. "…it was an accident…"

"If you say so, boss… But what if he ain't square?" the pirate Celest asked.

"Simple. We'll use HIM as bait for those blasted Wyverns!" Batu answered, and the rest of the pirates cheered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Chingus, who was his 'usual' guard, had tried serving him food. Small morsels, of course, with a cup of water, but compared to sucking on bones and fighting for scraps, it seemed too generous an offer; out of suspicion, he avoided eating. The nights were cold, and all he had was a pile of straw and a ragged blanket for warmth- comfier than sleeping on a ledge, but still not enough to keep the night's chill away._

 _By day seven, Chingus was practically begging him to eat. "Look… About what I said with ye 'n' those Wyverns… I was jus' suspicious! Those beasts attacked our camp while we were still finding base, an' killed many mates o' ours… me dad got his throat slit by their talons!"_

 _"_ _Look at my back," he muttered in response. "You'd think, if they planned on having me captured, I would want to help them out? …Their caves are southeast from where you caught me, large open mouthed cavern, very spacious, you can't miss it. If you want to kill 'em, that's fine by me."_

 _"_ _Why didn't ye say so earlier?! That's enough information! We can storm in there an- wait, is this a trick?!"_

 _"_ _Again, why would I want to help them? All they've done is treat me like a scratching post,"_

 _"_ _He'd be right, Chingus," came a voice, and the captain came forth. "…Plus, we can't jus' storm into those caves. There'd be too many Wyverns in there…" he knelt down, eyeing the prisoner. "Ain't that right, lad?"_

 _"_ _Depends by what you mean by 'too many'… I never managed to count past 20- an' I think I counted a few twice." He went into detail, claiming that every year the females would lay eggs (3-5, as he managed to count) and the babies managed to grow large by their third week; several took off to build nests outside the canyon, depending on what their type was (as different types preferred cooler or hotter climates)._

 _The captain (Batu, he later learned), rubbed his chin and nodded. "Ye sure are givin' a lot o' information. Either ye just want to buy our trust, or ye really want those birds dead,"_

 _"_ _I'd love to kill 'em myself, if I could. …but I have doubts I'll be livin' much longer to get th' chance."_

 _Batu eyed him for a moment. "What be yer name, lad?"_

 _He opened his mouth to reply, but paused. Having been called 'brat', 'runt', 'bait' and other cruel slangs, he had forgotten the name his parents had given him… but even if he did remember, he didn't want to use a title that was given to him by a pair of fancy-fakes. "I… don't really have one,"_

 _"_ _I see… Well, you're gonna be needin' a name if ye plan on working with us!"_

 _"_ _With us?" Chingus questioned. "Ya mean we're gonna recruit him?!"_

 _"_ _From what I's can tell, th' lad hates th' Wyverns as much as th' rest o' us- an' we ain't gonna get a ransom outta his family, so we might as well see if he's got what it takes…" he leaned forth, glaring at him in the eye. "…an' if he don't, we'll see how he fares swimmin' with rocks tied to his feet,"_

 _He stood up tall; he smiled, feeling an ache in his face as it had been a while. "Sir, I'll see to it I'll give my all!"_

 _"_ _Ye'd best stick with that oath… Chingus, go get him some garments." Chingus nodded and took off, while Batu opened the cell door; the lad walked out, allowing the captain to lead him down the hill. He was taken to a roomier hut, where Chingus gave him a set of clothes. Once he was dressed, Batu led him to the center. "Welcome to the Sky Pirate base… Khunbish."_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Months passed since Khunbish was initiated into the base. A few pirates had to 'monitor' him for a while, the main three being Batu, Chingus and Grace. He was forbidden to leave the base, as no one wanted to risk him going to the Wyverns and revealing secrets.

Batu, true to his word, taught the lad the skill of archery- after getting some food in his system. With his malnourished frame, the captain believed the kickback would make him shoot across the field further than the arrow! And never before did he see someone eat so much- stuffing his face like a wild animal! Had the pirates bothered with table manners, it was a safe bet they would be appalled… but instead turned it into one of their many contests to see who could out-eat their recruit.

Once he was ready to learn archery, Khunbish took to it like a fish to water. He had some trouble with how heavy the crossbow was, but once he got a good grip on it, all he would do was take aim and shoot. Any time Batu wanted to find him, he always knew he would be at their range, shooting targets.

He picked up their jargon too, talking like a pirate as if he grew up one. The only problem they had to resolve were his counting skills- having not been schooled since 8, he miscounted a few things. Thankfully Celest swiped some books and taught him a thing or two- when she wasn't snooping through towns, she was helping others learn math and reading (if only for the sake to kill off the whole 'illiterate pirate' stereotype).

After a year, it was time to put Khunbish through some initiation. "A skirmish, sir?" he asked Batu, as he was being trained in the new field.

"Aye. If there's one job we take to heart, it's protecting our base from invading bastards," Batu told him. "I've seen ye with that crossbow, lad- if you fall on the field o' battle, it would be a surprise to th' lot o' us. …Ye ready to prove yourself, Khunbish?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Then go with Chingus an' get training! I want ye ready when it's time for battle!"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Skirmish training was different than basic archery. There were drills, tactics and new skills to learn. It felt as if he were training in an army- which, as Chingus informed him, was basically the point. Although the two of them trained with different weapons, they eventually became a duo._

 _Grace, another archer with long purple hair and sporting an eye-patch, worked as a scout. "Lost me eye during a skirmish, once. I was a damn good shot, but since I lost me sniping-eye, I was demoted to scout- and pyro. Wanna try shooting a flaming arrow?"she asked while escorting him to practice once day._

 _"_ _Grace! The cap'n said no fire!" Chingus snapped._

 _"_ _Geez, burn down a hut ONE TIME…"_

 _Khunbish laughed. Despite her pyromaniac-tendencies, he liked Grace._

 _Which was why he was filled with fury when she came back from a scouting mission, wounded. "Enemies to the south, sir…" she grunted, trying to keep her strength up long enough to spread the word. "At least 3 units, all human…"_

 _"_ _Revlis, get Grace to the medic! Celest, you're on base lookout!" Batu ordered. "The rest of ye- TO ARMS!"_

 _With a range of battle-cries, the pirates rushed to get on their armor, weapons, and take off. Khunbish was told to carry in the back, having the least experience, while Chingus was in the front. A few other pirates soared overhead in their vessels, only on stand-by in case there would be need for an air-raid._

 _The memory of his first battle felt like a blur, but once it was over he knew he would remember more than he wished. He and the other archers worked on taking out walls, and shooting down any snipers. Chingus and his unit had to take out a few cannons, bombs dropping once in a while._

 _The fight lasted until dusk, their enemy drawn off, and they surveyed the battlefield for any wounded survivors. Looking around the dead bodies, he felt himself grow squeamish. Watching the Wyverns tear apart living animals was one thing… but to see another human being, lying bloodied and dead on the ground, was more than he could handle._

 _He prepared to turn back, when something grabbed his pantleg. "B… Brother…" came a tiny voice._

 _Khunbish looked down, horrified. There was a small boy, no older than 7, lying on the ground. His face was bloodied, a gash in his side, his eyes slit and bleeding. "B-Bloody hell…" he whimpered, too stunned to move._

 _"_ _Brother… is that you?" the child was sobbing, tears mixing with blood. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry, I tried…"_

 _Khunbish bit his lip, looking around, before kneeling down, grasping the lad's hand. "Um… I'm not-" he tried to speak clearly to let the boy know he was mistaken._

 _"_ _You told me to kill that scout… but I couldn't… I-I couldn't, and now we got ambushed…" the lad continued to cry. "I wasn't ready to fight… I was weak… I'm sorry!"_

 _Grace. He thought of her wounded state… but a child couldn't have done that damage, could he? "You shot G- the scout?"_

 _"_ _I missed… I kept missing… I kept missing… I'm sorry!"_

 _"_ _Who would let a little kid come into a fight…?"_

 _"_ _I wanted to come… I wanted to prove I could fight just like you! To clear the land of pirates and make the canyon safe to cross! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the lad was going hysterical! His breathing was growing more shallow with every apology._

 _"_ _I-I-It's okay! I'm not mad!" …It was true. They had won, after all. But he couldn't say he was happy, either. "You… you fought well. Not many lads your age would be hanging on in your state long enough to speak."_

 _"_ _I… I can't hold on much longer…" The boy tore off a necklace- one made of leather string and fangs- and placed it in his hand. "Please… please don't remember me as weak, Pierre."_

 _Khunbish gasped, his memory triggered. He was snapped out of it when he felt the lad's grip go limp, and he let out one last breath before his spirit left his body._

 _He sat there, staring at the necklace in his hand. Tears were flooding to his eyes. A hand rested on his shoulder and he gasped, looking up at the captain. Batu looked down at the small corpse, then back at Khunbish. "C'mon, lad. Back to the base. Th' battle's over," he said firmly, turning and walking on._

 _The archer shakily stood up, following the rest. He looked back once, though clung to the necklace. Chingus patted him on the back. "I remember my first fight, too… Don't worry, Khunbish. It gets easier to deal with," he claimed._

 _But he wasn't sure._

 _He spent the night awake in the hut, contemplating the life he was living now. He took a walk down to the beach, looking at his reflection in the water._

 _"_ _Life's a cruel bitch, lad." Came Batu's voice, as the captain stepped up beside him, his eyes on the sea. "Ye fight fer yer life, ye fight fer yer mates, ye fight fer what ye think is right… but there'll always be a cost. Th' times we live in are proof o' that- war's everywhere, no matter where ye go. Everyone's fightin' for something."_

 _"_ _I thought wars were fought fer peace?" Khunbish questioned._

 _"_ _Tch. If people wanted peace, they would find a way to gain it without war. …This be the life we live, boy. If ye ain't got th' stomach fer it, ye ain't got a place here."_

 _Khunbish unleashed a heavy sigh, before standing up. He put on the necklace- a reminder of the cruelty of the world around him. "Aye, sir."_

 _Batu led him back up the steps, and he couldn't help but stare at the man before him. A rock of a man, with a heart of stone and an icy gaze. To him, he believed nothing could soften his soul…_

 _That is, until the boss came back… with a new addition to the crew._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Batu had been on his own that night.

Years had gone by, and he had to watch as he lost several mates. Khunbish had taken over Celest's place on gaining information, Grace became a mechanic for their vessels, and Chingus worked on training others in the art of skirmish. They had plenty more mates on base, of course… but it felt as if their crew was dwindling.

Such as why he went scouting on his own tonight, if only to clear his head. He wondered what Ouda would think, seeing how he hardened his heart throughout the years, brushing off the death of comrades as if it were a bit of dust on his shoulder.

Thus when he heard sobbing… and looking over, he saw a tiny girl, all alone and sobbing. Cautious, he kept his hammer ready, knowing many had used a child to draw out an enemy. But, there were no signs of treachery… and it was clear the girl was not acting. She looked to be about four _(a/n: again, correct me if I'm wrong here!),_ much too young to be used as a foil! (And if anyone were that careless to leave a toddler alone to draw out a pirate, they deserved to be skinned alive!)

He walked over to the little girl…

She had been abandoned…

He told himself to ignore her sad eyes, her whimpers for help, her tears, and not give in to her sob story…

In the first time in years, he ignored his mental orders, and took her back to the base. "Don't worry, lass. I be takin' care of ya from now on," he assured her in a soft tone, carrying her in his arms.

From that day forth, his heart softened… but at the same time, grew stronger.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _He had faced savage Whamsters, rabid Hedgehounds, and dealt too long with sadistic Wyverns… but snakes alive, if none of them compared to the wild nature of the boss' new daughter!_

 _Tani started out shy at first when she came to the base, but as she grew she learned the ropes, and Heaven help them all when the child was in a ferocious mood! Batu raised her himself, and she picked up his stern attitude and intimidation._

 _To his surprise… she was good with a crossbow, too. A bit too good, as Khunbish found she could hit the target in the center in one shot! (Though in his defense, Batu started teaching her how to use a bow since she was five!). Although she wasn't ready for Skirmish practice, that didn't keep her from other activities._

 _Such as flying the vessels. Not even nine, and she tried hi-jacking his own ship to soar! Eventually it got to the point where someone had to teach her how to fly one just so the lass wouldn't sneak a ride and crash into the supply stand again. (Guess who the lucky teacher was?)_

 _But as high-spirited as she was, Khunbish couldn't bring himself to hate her. In a way, he was only jealous- she got to grow up on the base, whereas he didn't become a pirate until his teens. Having her around made the base a lot livelier, at the least._

 _No one dared mess with her though, knowing too well one of two things would happen: Tani would either pierce them with a spear, or Batu would smash their skulls with his war-hammer._

 _Which was why, when he and Chingus were preparing to play Judge, Jury and Executioner on a couple trespassers, they had a reason to cringe when Tani dropped in and threatened to rat them out to the boss! Not only did she speak with high authority, but she also had enough wit to catch them in the act of bending the rules a bit during their scouting._

 _In all honesty, it wasn't the first time they had tried doing so. Chingus had a habit of going off on his own and overdoing it with his scouting, having a 'kill first, ask later' attitude… and since he and Khunbish were practically brothers by this point, that influence rubbed off on him. But of course, Tani was more often than not around to rebuke their rash behavior._

 _Following the orders of their boss's daughter, the two led their shackled recruits back to the base for conviction, while she went off to scout some more. Every so often, Khunbish would look back at the youngest of the two- a blonde-haired kid no older than 12… with cat-ears…? Odd, he never saw such a person. The older one, a young man with black hair, had a foreign aura about him as well._

 _But he wasn't curious about their back-stories… at least, not until the lad informed Batu that he was supposed to be a king of Ding Dong Dell until a coup took place (he did recall hearing about that while he was hanging around listening for rumors). When the child brought up his quest to start a new kingdom… well, that gave them all a good laugh, save for the boss who remained stoic as always._

 _The only thing they took seriously was when news struck that Tani had been kidnapped by the Wyverns!_

 _His eyes widened a bit. Tani was a lot tougher than he had been when he was captured by the feathered fiends, but he still had fresh memories of how ruthless they could be. And considering they were bargaining her life, he had reason to believe she wouldn't be spared. What was worse was how Batu couldn't risk losing any more men to go rescue her…_

 _Tani was a goner… that is, if their two captives hadn't risked their lives to save her._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Even as a little girl, Tani had Batu figured out well. She knew when to take him seriously when it came to his orders and stern attitude, but at the same time knew he still had a bit of love in his heart. Unlike the rest of his crew, she could spot the twinkle in his eye when he was deep in thought about a dream. She brought up her dream of getting married someday, giggling at his stunned reaction- thank the heavens the child grew out of it by the time she reached 12!

In some ways, she reminded him of Ouda- same dark pink hair, her wild enthusiasm, and the spunk to let pirates even older than her know that she was not one to be trifled with!

When their captives took off to rescue her, Batu was alone with his thoughts, standing by. He told his men to be ready in case they pulled a double-cross and returned with their own army, if not ratted them out to other soldiers.

Still… something about that cat-eared kid had him water down his doubts. The lad had been thrown out of his own kingdom, setting out to build a new one to get a new start. Much like how he planned to make a home for all the rejected out there…

Hours passed, and his doubts began to return. Perhaps he was wrong. Those two couldn't possibly take on a whole nest of Wyverns, possibly getting their bones pecked clean this minute!

That is, until his daughter's voice echoed across the base.

"Hey everyone! I'm hoooome!"

He looked over, seeing his daughter- alive and well- returning with their captives.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Having lived up to their word of rescuing Tani, their ex-captives (Roland and Evan, as they were called), were allowed passage to the Island of Kings._

 _And the boss wanted Khunbish to help Tani escort them there._

 _As they soared over the ocean, passing by the cliffsides and falls, hearing Tani whoop about soaring (the lass loved flying more than anyone else on the base), his mind was puzzled. "Hey… Roland, was it?" he spoke as they flew. "How did the two of ye take on those blasted beasts? We's could never take 'em all on ourselves!"_

 _"_ _I guess we just got lucky," Roland replied. Khunbish scoffed, asking for details of their fight; the stranger told them all about how they had been fighting monsters for the last couple of days during their trek, having also fought a Wyvern who was attacking an old lady and her higgledies- little creatures who later aided them in battle and helped them take out the winged-wretches._

 _Once they reached the Island of Kings, he sat by to watch over their vessels, as Tani followed them up the stairs to support Evan in his trials._

 _He ended up dosing off, before Tani hollered at him to stop sleeping on the job. He looked over, seeing the trio returning… with a small yellow creature wearing a red one-piece. "What the bloody hell is that?" he asked._

 _"_ _Oi! Watch youer tongue! I'm the Kingmaker for King Evan, mun!" the creature spoke with a thick Scottish accent._

 _"_ _Holy- it talks!"_

 _Tani giggled. "C'mon, Khunbish. We've got a King to escort back to base!"_

 _And that's when everything changed… for a brighter tomorrow._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"A kingdom where everyone can live happily ever after."

That's the kind of kingdom the lad planned on building, and Batu saw to it that dream would be a reality. From the moment he took knee and pledged his crew's allegiance to King Evan, he knew the time had come for the Sky Pirates to get out of the canyon and brave a new life. A few stayed behind to mind the base, not all of them ready to 'leave home' yet, but several followed him and Tani to the Heartlands.

As time went on, he watched the boy's progress. He had some doubts at first, as the entrance to the Heartlands was blocked by some renegades ready for a skirmish, but with Khunbish and Chingus acting upon Evan's orders and leading soldiers onto the battlefield, they cleared the way.

It was one trial after another from then on, from having to get lumber, which involved going clear to Goldpaw where the caretaker of the woods, Niall, had lost custody of the forest in a gambling game; having to speak to Pugnacious into returning the property, unveiling the fact that the ruler was cheating everybody out of their hard-earned money, and before long taking on his Kingmaker! Snakes alive, what a trip just to get a few stocks of wood!

But it was all worth it, as the kingdom began to grow. Before he knew it, they were travelling to all sorts of places, helping recruit more citizens, all in an effort to help the kingdom of Evermore grow and thrive. As the kingdom was slowly being built, they would sit around a campfire and swap stories, or sing praises about the group's recent victories.

As it grew, he watched as his crew went from being renegades to normal citizens. Some helped out at shops, others preferred to stay part of King Evan's army, and the rest worked on helping expand the kingdom. The army itself grew with a few recruits as well, a few new soldiers assisting them in Skirmishes- some warriors stronger than the pirates themselves!

Soon, it got to the point where the pirates almost forgot they had been pirates, working with other soldiers, swapping stories in the dining quarters, or wandering around the kingdom that happened to get bigger with every passing month.

At one point, Evan finally decided to form a union with the other kingdoms. A 'Declaration of Interdependence', he called it. Soon the group set off again to new lands, finding other kingdoms to sign the treaty with them.

Again, trials awaited them. Whether it was building a ship to sail across treacherous waters, gaining an audience with the love-forbidding Queen Nerea (by having Evan pretend to propose to his own daughter, of all things!), navigating their ways through an industrialized city run by the power-hungry president Zip Vector, and- of course- fighting one Kingmaker after another when it was realized the rulers of each kingdom they visited had been corrupted.

The trouble with that last part was with the fiend, Doloran, who seemed to take the Kingsbond of every corrupt ruler once they had lost their kingdom's respect… what he planned on doing with them, Batu wished-and-feared to know.

Perhaps the most suspicious act outside of the snake-masked villain's plans was the plot Roland had started…

A plot to betray King Evan and join the man who overthrew him in the first place, King Mausinger.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _It was a good life he was living now. Boy, if his parents could see him now- an archer for a king's army! Sure, as the army grew, he didn't need to take part in skirmishes too often anymore, but he did help manage the weapons shop and train new recruits; once in a while he was called back on the battlefield if needed be, but he was content with being on the sidelines to relax as well._

 _That is, until word spread of Master Roland's betrayal…_

 _He couldn't bring himself to believe it. From the moment he and Chingus captured them, he could see how loyal the man was to the boy, as if he were his own son! The idea of Roland just abandoning Evan after so much progress on Evermore was absurd! The man had to be planning something rather than betrayal…_

 _Such as why he was willing to follow Batu's orders and go find Roland to see what was going on._

 _…_

 _He forgot how reckless he was when it came to wandering on his own. Flashbacks of being captured by Wyverns appeared in his mind when he failed to watch his stealth and was captured by Mausinger's guards. Rather than being executed, he was locked away in the dungeon._

 _And then Roland came down and bloody shot him!_

 _…_

 _…_

 _…_

 _All was dark, until a foul stench woke him… and there was Roland. After questioning him with a few choice words, the chief consul assured he was on his side- before shoving a pill in his mouth. At that point he croaked._

 _Literately. He turned into a frog!_

 _He watched as Roland swallowed the same kind of pill, transforming into a frog alongside him, the two of them escaping down the drains. As they made their way out of Ding Dong Dell, Roland explained how he feigned treachery in order to get Evan his Mark of Kings, going on to state it was the only way to help him make peace with Mausinger._

 _He didn't understand much of it, but as long as it meant Roland was still loyal to Evermore, he wasn't going to question him._

 _Honestly, all he wanted to do right now was collapse in bed._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Evan was sharper than he looked, as the king felt there were suspicions about Roland's betrayal- ending up calling out his chancellor, Leander, out on his assistance with the whole charade!

Once Roland returned, giving Evan his Mark of Kings, the group set off to Ding Dong Dell.

It was yet another grueling task, involving a lot of sneaking around, finding the late King Leonhard's diary, before Mausinger requested an audience with Evan, ending up being a trap, losing his Kingsbond to Doloran… who also stole the soul of his so-called advisor, Vermine, making him no more than a zombie, and soon the group found themselves in another fight with another Kingmaker.

At least in the end Mausinger made peace with Evan and signed the Declaration of Interdependence.

All that was left was to deal with Doloran, and he knew in his gut that was a battle that would put the rest to shame…

 _[A/N: I haven't gotten far in that arc yet, I don't know all the details, so… good news, I'm sparing everyone some major spoilers here! *ahem* Carry on.]_

…

…

…

After all the trials and tribulations they went through, Batu would do it all again.

Not just for his daughter. Not just for his crew. Hell, not even for his dream or Ouda's dream involving giving his mates a safe haven.

No, it was all for the boy- no, the King who brought them out of the dark and into a new light, a new home… a new beginning, where they found their happily ever after.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 _Khunbish sat with Grace on the castle wall, the two of them on watch that night._

 _Not that there was anything to fear. Many enemies have vanished if not become friends, the need for skirmishes seemed to die down, and the only ruckus that came from the kingdom were the celebrations of King Evan's success._

 _During his free time, he had asked the king for a request: he wanted to know what became of his old family._

 _He found one of his sisters had married a sailor, and set off to sea with him. Another sister had died from too much liquor due to stress-drinking. Another had been a prostitute, but after a few nights in prison decided to become a bar-maid. And his last sister, after some years of therapy, became a mistress at an orphanage for young girls in order to teach them that beauty is not everything._

 _His parents, he was sad to learn, had become beggars. He had found them on the streets… and Evan offered them a place in Evermore._

 _"_ _How are your folks?" Grace asked him, breaking him from his thoughts._

 _"_ _Dad's working as a blacksmith and mum's working in catering; they decided having jobs and working for a living was better than being a beggar. …They're planning to meet with my sisters next and apologize for using them," he answered._

 _"_ _And you?"_

 _"_ _Yeah… 'n' I forgive them. If King Evan can forgive the rat who killed his father, then I can forgive my parents for what they've done,"_

 _Grace rested her head on his shoulder. "Heh. A year ago, you weren't so merciful… hell, none of us were. Amazing how much changed, all because of a boy with a dream."_

 _He put his arm around her. He thought about his strict childhood, running away, abused by Wyverns, living with pirates, watching a boy die and see how cruel the world could be, watching a boy come along with a dream and defeat their foes, watching as they all went from pirates to citizens._

 _How they all had a chance for a better life._

 _"_ _Aye… now we can all live happily ever after," Khunbish said, looking out at the stars._

 _He had a chance this would only be the beginning of a new age._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Aaaaaand done! 20 pages in! I think that's enough, eh? XD

So… yeah, it went from a backstory to Batu and Khunish's POV a little bit (apologies for lacking so many details in the arcs); I was going to end it where they first met Evan and Roland buuuuut my fingers wouldn't stop typing. And YES! I gave Khunbish an OC, at long last! xD (I have a pic drawn- I just have to finish it. Maybe I'll start a separate story all about her?)

Also, TRIVIA: 'Pierre' is actually Khunbish's name in the German translation of the game.

The name "Khunbish" also translates to 'Not A Human Being'... so that's why Batu named him that.

(I need to borrow that name sometime).

Swaine: Need I ask what my name translates to?

Me: A wandering countryman, if spelled without the 'e', otherwise it means an attendant.

Swaine: ...Oh. Well, considering I travel with Oliver and Esther, that makes se-

Me: Another definition is an admirer of someone's... *wink wink*

Swaine: ...Stay away from me. *flees*

Khunbish: *with Grace* Don't worry, mate! She'll give you an OC someday, too!

Swaine: God forbid!

Me: ...I love these guys ^^

Grace: Just keep away from mine! *holds up match*

Khunbish: Grace... save it for the flamers.

Grace: Oh, fine.

Anyway! Please review! But no flames- Grace has that crazy look in her eye.


End file.
